


Sly Cooper: Legacy of Thieves

by Awareness_Bringer



Category: Sly Cooper (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Sly Cooper Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 16:09:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21057215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awareness_Bringer/pseuds/Awareness_Bringer
Summary: This story chronicles the life of Conner Cooper. Having lost his family, Conner eventually forms the Original Cooper Gang to honor their memory and hopefully avenge them. Unaware that with the passing of time he will face challenge after challenge until he comes across the point of no return. Rated T to be safe. Please review and check for writing errors. Answer honestly.





	1. Prologue

**This is a work of fiction by me, not Sony, the true owners of Sly Cooper. Rated T for smoking, a censored birth, sad deaths, and suggestive elements. Everything else is clean.**

**[SCLOT]**

**Sly Cooper: Legacy of Thieves**

**[SCLOT]**

**Prologue**

**[SCLOT]**

Moonlight shined onto Cooper Manor. Approximately twenty miles north of London, England, Cooper Manor had served as a home for the Cooper Clan since its construction in the Victorian era under Thaddeus Winslow Cooper III. Officially, the Cooper Clan is a raccoon family of legitimate, multiracial philanthropists who have been accused, but not convicted, of many crimes consisting of thievery and vigilantism. Unofficially, the Cooper Clan's thieving reputation was not only fact, but had roots dating back to the times of the Egyptian Pharaohs as recorded in their ancestral guide book, the Thievius Raccoonus. The Coopers, however, follow a pervasive code of honor to only steal from other criminals; finding no honor, challenge or fun in harming the innocent.

Well built, yet extravagant, Cooper Manor had access to a personal airfield, an indoor pool, a personal cemetery, a state of the art security system, and other characteristics suitable for the home of the proclaimed master thief family.

Within the mansion's ball room, a small celebration was taking place for the entire lineage. Only two nights before did the family's patriarch, Augustine, and his second born son, Conner, succeed in their first heist together. Applauding as if on cue, Augustine, his firstborn son Michael, and daughter-in-law Cynthia greeted Conner with delight. Even Michael and Cynthia's two-year old son Perseus was excited to see his uncle.

Conner himself couldn't help but feel pride. Slightly muscular at the age of fifteen, he was a raccoon of medium height with a small goatee on his chin. Clad in a tuxedo for this party, he carried the jewelry box containing what he and his father had stolen from Italian Mob leader, Octavio, and his would've been fiancé from the Russian Mafia. His father, an aging man in his fifties with a mustache, wore a monocle on his right eye and attire fitting of a royal.

Next to Augustine stood Michael. Taller than his brother and father, he wore similar royal clothing with the exception of thin sliver-rimmed glasses rather than a monocle. His nearby wife, Cynthia, wore a princess-like gown fit for a night on the town. While her husband and in-laws had matching deep blue eyes, her eyes more closely resembled bright green emeralds. She also had short blonde hair falling down to her shoulders. These traits were inherited by her casually dressed son, Percy.

"Well don't just stand there, brother!" Michael playfully exclaimed. "Show us what you got."

The Coopers took their family traditions seriously. At the age of eight, a Cooper would inherit the Thievius Raccoonus. At fifteen, they would use what they had learned to work with an elder relative to steal their first item. And at seventeen, after constructing their own cane weapon, they would pull their own heist either solo or with like-minded thieves. Having turned fifteen a month before, Conner had traveled with his father to Venice, Italy, after hearing of the diamond encrusted rings Octavio had forged to cement his alliance with the Russian Mob. After a week of planning, Conner and Augustine successfully completed the heist, disguising themselves as members of Octavio's mob and replacing the priceless rings with forgeries.

"Okay, but you're might need some sunglasses," Conner replied as he opened the box, revealing the wedding rings.

Michael gave a short chuckle. "Not bad, Connie. Not bad at all."

Cynthia rolled her eyes at her husband's remark. "Men and their treasure. Still congratulations, Conner. What are you going to do with them?"

"That's a good question," said Augustine, getting up from his chair near the center table and placing his hand on Conner's shoulder. "Those rings are worth at least five hundred thousand euros. You can either sell them on the black market though ThiefNet, or place them in the Cooper Vault and wait until they're worth more. Your choice, Conner."

Conner thought carefully about his options. On the criminal website ThiefNet he could indeed sell the rings for a considerable profit in the short term. However, keeping them safe in the Cooper Clan's secret vault in the Pacific would work out better for him and his own descendants in the long run. After looking at his brother and sister-in-law, Conner smiled and stated his answer.

"I'll save them for my own engagement party."

Even Cynthia, who was reluctant at first marrying into a family of thieves, couldn't help but laugh.

"Very well, son," Augustine said after catching his breath. "How about we set sail for Kaine Island next month? For now, you and I could use some rest."

"Whatever you say, Dad."

"If only your mother were here to see this."

Conner paused for a brief moment. His mother, Sarah, who was a thief like the rest of the family, had died in a terrorist bombing a decade before in Afghanistan. The attack was masterminded by a sworn enemy of the Cooper Clan. Although Augustine had avenged his late wife in a capacity when he destroyed her killer's base of operations, nothing and no one could truly replace or restore her. Conner didn't remember her much, and there were times when he wondered if he would ever live up to any expectations his mother may have had of him. Despite his sadness, the young thief regained his composure and took a seat at the table with his family.

The next half hour was spent on eating, drinking, and casual conversation. During one such talk, the elder Coopers discussed Percy's future. Michael and Augustine were fond of the idea of Percy carrying on the family legacy as a master thief, while Cynthia proclaimed the wishes of her own family to see him succeeding them as the majority shareholder and chief executive officer of their international conglomerate, Van Coon Industries.

Conner couldn't help but notice the difficulty in Cynthia's eyes. Ten years older than Conner, her husband Michael had formerly spent much of his time in late high school and early college stealing from the less honorable criminals of the United Kingdom, until a chance meeting with Cynthia at Oxford eventually changed his mind. From that point on, Michael chose to devote his life to his wife and son, while putting his duties as a master thief on the side. It wasn't easy at first for Cynthia and her side of the family to process the challenges that would come from this union, but in the end they accepted Michael and his family for who they really were.

Cynthia's parents themselves couldn't attend the gathering due to a pressing meeting with England's Prime Minister. Nevertheless, Conner and his family were enjoying themselves greatly.

Suddenly, without warning, an energy beam struck the protective force field surrounding the mansion. The shockwave from the blast shook the mansion to its core, causing the family of five to reel in their seats.

"What the heck was that?!" Exclaimed Conner as he regained his balance, the rest of the family following his actions of reestablishment and confusion.

"I'm going to find out," said his father as he got out a data pad showing the security cameras. While clicking through the various camera views throughout the mansion, Augustine noticed an owl-like silhouette in the skies above the mansion. Upon zooming in on the image and enhancing it, Augustine saw something that made him drop the data pad out of shock. The Cooper Clan's patriarch was terrified, not for his own life, but for the lives of his family.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Michael asked in concern, his wife standing by his side with their child in tow.

"It's Clockwerk." Augustine said at last.

Gasps of fear erupted from Conner and the other adults in the family. Clockwerk was the name used by an immortal robotic owl who had hunted the Cooper lineage as far back as the era of Slytunkhamen Cooper I in ancient Egypt. Though nobody truly knew how the ancient owl had become the metal monstrosity he currently was, or where his hatred of the Cooper Clan emerged from, Clockwerk was feared all the same. No matter how many times the Coopers believed they had destroyed him for good, Clockwerk would always reappear, again and again, continuing the endless cycle until he succeeded in wiping out the entire Cooper Clan and annihilating their legendary thieving reputation. In the modern era, Clockwerk was considered a criminal myth by major law enforcement agencies on Earth such as Interpol. But the Coopers, their allies, and other individuals had long known the truth.

"But he can't get through right?" Cynthia asked worried.

Augustine shook his head. "The force field is strong, but not impenetrable." Releasing his silver, "C" shaped cane from his back, Augustine looked prepared to fight to the death. "I will hold him off for as long as I can. Use the tunnel and get the Thievius Raccoonus and more importantly yourselves out of here!"

"No!" The two brothers protested in unison.

"Let us help you!" Conner pleaded. He'd already lost the mother he never knew to Clockwerk. He couldn't stand losing his father as well.

"Conner, listen to me," his father said with sadness, yet resignation in his eyes. "I need you to keep our family alive. If you won't do it for your own survival, do it for Percy's," Augustine pleaded, pointing at his crying grandson for emphasis.

"At least let me stay, Dad." Michael said unleashing his own bronze cane. "I don't know if my being here will give you a greater chance of survival, but I have to take it!"

"No, Michael, don't!" Cynthia screamed. "I need you! And your son needs you too!"

Turning away from his wife and son, Michael pulled an old map from his father's sleeve before giving it to Conner. "Where's the book, Conner?" He asked.

Seeing the same resignation in his brother's eyes, Connor knew he had no choice but to follow his instructions. "In my room."

"The emergency elevator is close to your room. Take the book, the map, and my family now! Please!"

"I love you both so much." Conner said as he embraced both his brother and father, holding back tears.

Seeing the force field breaking, Conner took Cynthia's hand and they ran to his room. Finding the worn out book, encrusted with their family emblem, that was the Thievius Raccoonus on his book shelf, Conner and Cynthia ran to the fireplace where Conner pushed a lever disguised as a brick, revealing a secret elevator behind it.

Unexpectedly, Connor was pushed into the elevator as he carried the Thievius Raccoonus. Looking behind, he saw Cynthia kissing her son on the forehead in a tearful goodbye. She then passed her child into Connor's arms.

"I'm sorry, but I can't leave." Cynthia stammered as she pushed another disguised lever that would send the elevator down.

"Cynthia! No!" Conner tried to argue an instant before the doors closed and he was sent down below to the emergency tunnel. As he exited the elevator moments later, Conner thought of returning as well to aid the family, but decided that someone had to save Percy and preserve the family legacy. The tunnel lead to a hill just one mile outside London and was loaded with bombs on the ceiling in case the mansion's residents were being followed. Conner knew with a heavy heart that he would have to press the button at the hill entrance in order to activate the bombs and keep Clockwerk from chasing him and Percy.

**[SCLOT]**

Back in the ball room, Augustine and Michael stood their ground in anticipation for the upcoming battle of their lives. As if preordained, the force field then shattered into pieces, allowing Clockwerk to smash straight through to the ball room. The metal monster landed hard, causing shockwaves that unbalanced the two Coopers momentarily.

The ancient owl gave a sinister laugh as his yellow eyes caught Augustine and Michael. "Augustine Cooper," Clockwerk said in a sinister, mechanical voice. "It's been a long time. And this must be Michael, he looks quite charming. Where is your other child, Augustine? I was looking forward to snuffing the life out of him as well."

"Drop dead." Augustine said in a tone of barely restrained anger.

Clockwerk merely laughed again, "If you insist."

As if on cue, a swarm of Clockwerk's Robo-Falcon creations flew into the mansion from behind their master and attacked the Coopers. Using the many moves they learned from the Thievius Raccoonus as well what they have developed through their own initiative, Augustine and Michael fought to their breaking moment until all of the Robo-Falcons were destroyed. The two brave men were unfortunately unaware that the robots merely gave their master enough time to fire his laser emitters.

Focusing a fraction of his power on Michael, Clockwerk fired in the younger Cooper's direction, only to be surprised at what happened next.

Seeing the laser, Cynthia, who was watching the entire time, ran between her husband and the deadly attack. The lethal energy beam struck her back, causing her to drop dead instantaneously.

"No, no!" Michael stammered as he placed Cynthia's lifeless head in his hands. Staring into his wife's lifeless emerald eyes that once gave him hope, his will was shattered.

Clockwerk sadistically chuckled at this predicament as he fired again. This time, the metallic owl focused his energy beam on the ceiling above Michael and his dead wife's body.

Unable to move out of a combination of shock and grief, Michael stood petrified as the rubble from above crushed him.

Augustine's blood boiled in anger as he rushed in to attack Clockwerk with all of his remaining might.

Skillfully dodging the owl's electric ring launcher, Augustine smacked Clockwerk's head with his cane repeatedly until the mechanical monster grabbed him with his right talon.

"Where are the others?" Clockwerk hissed, applying pressure to the old Cooper's ribcage.

"I said it before and I'll say it again: drop dead!" Augustine barked valiantly while choking for air.

His patience expired, Clockwerk squeezed the elder raccoon in his metal talons until he could move and breathe no longer.

After dropping the corpse on the floor, Clockwerk searched the rest of the mansion for the son of Augustine until he heard a loud explosion; seeing the ground outside splinter as a result. Investigating with his x-ray vision, Clockwerk discovered an elevator latch in the fireplace and fumed with fury at the fact that his prey had eluded him yet again.

"No matter," he thought silently. "I will find them in time." And with the unfolding of his large metallic wings, Clockwerk flew straight through the ceiling and into the night sky.

**[SCLOT]**

Within London stood a tall apartment complex suited for the wealthy and powerful, the Crown Jewel. Grand to the point of self-indulgent, the building's penthouse was occupied by none other than the owners of Van Coon Industries, Margaret and James Van Coon. The couple had just returned from an important meeting with England's Prime Minister regarding the new security systems and non-lethal weaponry their corporation had been lobbying with for quite some time. Their meeting a successful one, they were ready to retire to bed when a knock came at the door.

James, a muscular, yet aging raccoon in his mid-fifties, walked to the door and opened it, revealing a teary eyed guest who carried an infant raccoon with him.

"Conner? What are you and Percy doing here?" James asked in astonishment.

"Something terrible has happened," Conner said, finally releasing all of his pent-up tears.

Walking their relative by marriage to the living room sofa, James had his wife, a woman of equal age and graying blonde hair, carry their grandson to their guest bedroom where a cradle was waiting for him.

"Now tell us what's happened. Where are Percy's parents and your father?" James asked, great concern in his tone.

Regaining his voice, Conner went into detail on the tragedy that had taken place earlier at the mansion, all the while tears erupted from the elder raccoons as they learned of their daughter's brave sacrifice and the last stand of their son-in-law and brother-in-law.

"I'm so sorry," Conner said, his eyes puffy from crying. "I wanted to go back, but I had to think of Percy first."

After a long moment of silent sadness, James went to the refrigerator for some water, offering some for Conner and Margaret as well.

"I think the last thing our Cynthia would've wanted was us blaming you and your family for what happened," James stated, thinking of his compassionate daughter

Margaret couldn't help but nod in agreement. "You and Percy are welcome here."

Conner shook his head, "If I stay here with the book and the map, none of you safe. I have to leave and Percy needs to have his identity changed."

"What did you have in mind?" Margaret asked.

"As far as anyone knows, Perseus and Conner Cooper died in the tunnel collapse. You're going to have to use some of that new tech you've been making to change Percy's appearance, or at least his genes. From this day forward he's not your grandson, but your adopted heir Archimedes Van Coon. Will you keep him safe for me and for your daughter?"

"Of course," James replied without a second of thought. "But what are you going to do?"

Conner then left the sofa for the door. As he exited the penthouse, James and Margaret could hear Conner's final words to them.

"For the first time in my life... I don't know what to do."

**[SCLOT]**

**To be continued**

**[SCLOT]**

**Behind the scenes**

**[SCLOT]**

**I know Sly's dad hasn't been given an official name, but I figured Conner Cooper might be canonized soon. As for Perseus, I want to add a similar character in the next Sly game once I invest and buy stock in Sony. It'll take time of course, but I can wait. Augustine was a character mentioned in the Thievius Raccoonus. Aside from him, Octavio, and Clockwerk all the other characters are created by me. In time, you'll see that I've based my story on several other fan fictions. I'm sure you can connect the dots soon enough.**


	2. The First Job

**Part One: Glory Days**

**[SCLOT]**

**Chapter One: The First Job**

**[SCLOT]**

Two years had passed since the massacre at Cooper Manor and no law enforcement agency on Earth was any closer to uncovering the motives or culprits than they were when they started.

Conner's story for the public record had worked perfectly. Everyone aside from Clockwerk believed that Conner Cooper and his nephew were dead.

To move on from their grief and lack of an heir, James and Margaret Van Coon proclaimed one year later that they had adopted an orphaned raccoon infant that they had named him Archimedes. However, many observed the similarities between their adopted child and supposedly late grandson, but after a DNA test that proved there was no relation between them, the world let it slide; unaware that the Van Coons used nanotechnology to alter Perseus' DNA.

Conner himself traveled to Kaine Island in the Pacific Ocean after the tragedy to store the wedding rings he and his father had stolen from Italy in the Cooper Vault. The young thief attempted to enter the vault through a secret window on the north side of the island in a cave, when he realized that a Cooper cane was needed to open the regular entrance. Later, while standing on the peak of Kaine Island's highest point and staring longingly at the ground down below, Conner briefly considered ending his grief by committing suicide. Fortunately, the heir to the Cooper legacy eventually let go of these morose thoughts and was inspired to instead follow in his family's footsteps and become the thief his parents would've been proud to see.

Taking twelve gold bars from the Vault with his few belongings, Conner moved to a modest house in Paris, France, where he could keep an eye on the many art thieves residing there. He usually spent his days learning from the Thievius Raccoonus, or leaning an ear on lucrative events in the criminal underworld through an account on ThiefNet under the user name, Ci_Ci.

A week after his seventeenth birthday, Conner built a yellow hooked cane and began scouting for the right criminals to steal from as well as the right team to work with. He'd spent much time analyzing and considering the advantages and disadvantages that came from either working solo or with a team. Conner eventually decided to commit crimes using the latter strategy after realizing that he lacked the strategic and scientific mind to properly plan and execute complex heists, or the intimidating brawn that would be needed for the jobs where his subtlety and charm wouldn't cut it.

Logging in on ThiefNet, the aspiring master thief scouted out for potential partners. After spending hours sifting through arms dealers and violent criminals, Conner eventually came across two individuals who apparently shared his ambitions, code of ethics, and had the skills that, combined with his own, would make a devastating impact.

One of the two was the self-named Doctor_M. Identified as a male mandrill and a picture of such, his biography claimed he was a Doctor of philosophy in the many fields of science. These included but were not limited to, biology, engineering, and computer science among other things. Using his hacking skill, the cunning Doctor_M had famously robbed entire bank accounts belonging to white collar criminals and corrupt establishments, while exposing them as well.

"Clearly whoever he is, this 'Doctor M' has the brains needed in a team of master thieves." Conner mused as he bookmarked the page and moved on to the next potential recruit.

The other profile that had caught Conner's attention belonged to one Big_Jim, and was adorned with a profile picture displaying a tubby male walrus. Throughout his biography, Big_Jim went on about how he was the best underworld fighter and street racer in the United States. Unfortunately, he'd been forced to flee America after the FBI began cracking down on underworld fighting. Thankfully, that little bump in the road hadn't forced Big_Jim completely off the grid, as his profile claimed that he was on the lookout for new opportunities.

Thoroughly impressed by both men, Conner began typing his recruitment message. Despite his inexperience, the young thief knew that he'd need to really sell himself if he was going to capture the attention of the older criminals. Thus, Conner made it clear that he was looking for a long-term partnership and hinted at the fact that he already had a heist in mind.

"Hello. I'm Ci_Ci. And I think we could work well together on our own high stakes robberies. We both value honor, but at same time, want to strike it big. I'm currently living in Paris, France and I've already got a plan to rob from one of the most crooked locals yet. If you're interested, please respond to this message and I'll forward instructions on our meeting place."

After two hours of waiting, Conner was relieved when they replied back.

"Tell me more," typed Doctor_M.

"I'm in." wrote Big_Jim.

**[SCLOT]**

Two days had passed since the initial contact on ThiefNet, and Conner was feeling optimistic at his chances. Leaving his safe house, the young thief traveled to the Black Chateau, one of Paris' most grandiose and seediest nightclubs, to meet with his future partners in crime.

Wearing black pants, a navy blue shirt, a black mask over his eyes, and a yellow belt around his waist, Conner arrived at the front of the restaurant after hopping rooftop to rooftop discretely.

Ignoring the smell of rich food and the sound of stylish music found at the public entrance, Conner, having obtained reservations for a table in the private lounge, walked to the back door.

"Password?" The tall, gorilla bouncer asked in a gruff voice.

"Bonaparte," Conner answered back.

Entering into the private lounge, Conner saw many of Paris' high profile criminals enjoying their own conversations and food while he walked to the farthest table on the left. The aspiring master thief smiled upon seeing a familiar short mandrill in a lab coat sharing a pleasant conversation with his bulbous, yet strong-looking, walrus companion. The mandrill had growing blond hair and blue pants while the walrus looked like a bouncer with an over-rolled shirt and equally blue pants.

Turning their gaze in Conner's direction, the mandrill spoke with a sophisticated, British accent. "Password?"

"Louvre," Conner answered confidently while taking the empty seat out of four for his own use. Conner wasted no time with small talk and immediately got to business. "Alright gents, let's get down to the matter's heart. I'm Ci_Ci. But you can call me Conner Cooper."

His guests were left with astonished expressions.

"Aren't you that rich kid who died two years ago?" The walrus asked bluntly in a gruff American accent.

"The second son of a supposed family of master thieves?" The mandrill continued.

Conner nodded. "Those rumors are true. But we steal only from other thieves to show that we're the best," he explained. "I'm one of the last of the family now, and now that I've turned seventeen I'm ready to pull my own job with the help of a highly skilled team."

"Huh, I suppose I can appreciate that," said the mandrill as he offered his hand to Conner for a shake. "I am Dr. Marcus Moreau. You've already read my skill set, and I'll have you know I graduated from Harvard at the top of my class."

Conner reciprocated the gesture of respect before turning to the walrus at the right.

"James McSweeney," the walrus greeted as he shook Conner's hand as well. "Call me Jim. So what do you have in mind?"

"You know Anastasia Byko? The current Louvre director? She's gained a reputation for being dedicated to her work at the museum, but in in reality, she's embezzled from the Louvre more than once while doing the Russian Mafia's dirtier jobs. If Byko feels that her own wealth matters more than the people of Paris' education, than maybe she shouldn't have all that art at all. Know what I mean?"

Marcus and Jim nodded.

"Breaking into the Louvre won't be easy," said Marcus. "I suppose this is where we start making a plan."

"Yes, but not here. Too many people. I'll take you to my place. But first I want to know if you guys are in or not."

"Are you kidding!?" exclaimed Jim. "Doing the impossible is what I'm good at!"

Marcus thought about it for a long moment before placing his beverage up for a toast. "To the impossible then."

Marcus and Jim then clinked their glasses with Conner's, officiating their temporary partnership.

**[SCLOT]**

After discussing their strategy over the next few hours, the three thieves felt ready for their first heist.

The plan was for Jim, disguised as a security guard, to walk into the security room. Then, Jim would hook up a log chip with the security computers, giving Marcus, who would work on a hijacked ferry-boat on the nearby Seine River with Conner, complete control of the museum's defenses. With local law enforcement unaware of what was occurring, the three thieves would then load up as many art pieces as the ferry could hold, and make their getaway scot-free.

It took several hours to gather what they needed. Jim had to stay in one of the stalls in the men's bathroom until he heard a lion security guard enter, who he then knocked out with his gas can.

Taking the guard's outfit and security card, Jim walked to the security room, where he stumbled upon two mice watching the monitors.

Getting up from his seat to get a look at Jim, the taller mouse looked confused.

"What are you doing in here?" He asked.

Pulling out a can from his zip bag, Jim smiled before spraying the two guards. The two guards were caught completely off guard as the knockout gas assaulted their sensitive noses, causing them to lose consciousness.

After the last mouse fell to the floor, Jim walked to the monitors and hooked the log chip in the computers. Going to the speaker, Jim then relayed orders to the guards.

"Attention all guards. There's an unscheduled ferry-boat outside. Investigate at once."

Hearing footsteps echo outside the room, Jim took out his radio from his bag to relay the news.

"Marcus, they're coming your way."

"Loud and clear."

A few minutes later, Marcus reported in, "All the guards are knocked unconscious and I have full control of the systems. Shutting down all cameras, alarms, and motion detectors now."

"I'm ready to join in, Jim," said Conner.

After meeting up at the front door, Jim and Conner grabbed as many paintings and statures the ferry's weight capacity could hold. In the next half hour they loaded as much as twenty-four art pieces including the Mona Lisa. Returning to the ferry, Conner then signaled Marcus to take the ferry and all of its contents to the far end of the Seine River, where a truck was waiting for pickup.

**[SCLOT]**

The next day, Conner and his new team celebrated their success the night before with wine at their Parisian safe house.

"Aren't you too young to drink?" asked Jim as he saw Conner with a glass of wine.

"I'm a free man. I can do as I please."

"So long as it doesn't kill you," Marcus said with a laugh.

Turning to the television on their right, the gang saw they made the news. As an antelope anchorman was describing.

"Approximately 12:00 AM last night, a robbery took place at the Louvre Museum. Over twenty-four statues, paintings, and other priceless artifacts were stolen. I'm at the scene with Interpol Inspector Diego Fox at the scene of the crime."

The camera turned from the antelope to a tall fox in a black shirt, blue jeans, and a beige overcoat. Black haired and orange eyed, he appeared to be a symbol of authority and most likely preferred to be seen as such. Conner had heard of Diego's reputation before he even was assigned to the case resolving the massacre at Cooper Manor. From what Conner knew of Diego, he was a rising star among Interpol's ranks and had strong, yet uncompromising views on law and crime.

"To be honest we don't know much," Diego admitted, speaking in a Latin accent as he went into detail on the previous art theft. The inspector then began describing the three perpetrators with what little information the guards could provide. As he explained, the camera caught a glimpse of a female cobra being arrested.

"Was that the museum director?" The anchorman asked with confusion on his face.

Diego nodded before speaking. "When my colleagues were looking for evidence in the museum's computers, they discovered transactions between the Louvre's bank account and others that belonged to Byko herself, and several alleged members of the Russian Mafia. We've been trying to get dirt on her for some time and whoever these "master thieves" are, they've given us the opportunity we needed. That doesn't mean I condone their actions, of course. By stealing from this museum they have stolen from the people who cater here, and I intend to find them."

Turning off the TV, Conner turned to his companions with a smile. "He may be a bit arrogant, but I do respect him as a good cop."

Jim just shrugged, "So what happens now? I really was starting to like you guys."

Marcus nodded, "I suppose this gang can work out."

Conner's smile grew deeper, "Working together we can do the impossible. As I told you, I intended for this job to be the starting point of what I hope will be a long-lived and successful partnership." Taking his drink for a toast he made his one, final offer. "So what do you say? Want to join the Cooper Gang?"

After glancing at each other, Marcus and Jim nodded.

"Sounds egotistical when you say it, but I'm in," said Marcus as he joined the toast.

"Me, too!" Jim exclaimed.

And it was at this moment that history would take a new course.

**[SCLOT]**

**To be continued**

**[SCLOT]**

**Behind the scenes**

**[SCLOT]**

**I based Dr. M's last name from the book that obviously inspired him and his first name from the other story Sly's Parents love story. In time you'll see Diego become a father and an occasional ally of the Cooper Gang. At first I added M to be an American because I thought his voice actor was one, but then I looked at his accent and revised. In time, I'll also show scenes of Conner's estrangement with M. After some thinking, I decided it would suit this story if I divided it like Darth Plagueis and I, Mengsk. Considering it spans several years.**


	3. The Amphibious Rogue

**Chapter Two: The Amphibious Rogue**

**[SCLOT]**

A month had passed since the Louvre heist and everything was in the Cooper Gang's favor. Thanks to ThiefNet's extreme confidentiality, no law-enforcement agency was able to trace the original sellers of the art pieces. Money was flowing into the Gang's accounts at a staggering rate, and the team had learned to trust one-another in the meantime.

They had all been living in a safe house in Paris since the heist, each with his own bedroom. Fortunately, the space provided enough room for Marcus' personal laboratory, and a small garage to accommodate Jim's imported, high stakes van.

As they spent time hacking the accounts of less savory locals, more for entertainment rather than money, Conner was learning much about his team as he could. Though he had faith that they could be trusted, the young thief wanted to be certain.

Marcus was everything he claimed to be on ThiefNet. Having earned a scholarship to Harvard due to his incredible mind, his participation in a foreign exchange program in Virginia, and the monetary devotion of his parents, he'd graduated a month before the Cooper Manor massacre. With his skill and accomplishments, Marcus was offered good positions in many private and public facilities such as CERN, but refused as he wanted to dedicate his life to a more profitable and exciting career path. He desired a life where he could make his pay fairly and quickly, not one where he'd be forced to sit behind a desk just to live miserably wealthy. Eight years older than Conner, Marcus' father was a real estate agent and his mother an accountant. Both of whom had tragically died in a car crash the year before due to design errors that weren't fixed in time by the greedy manufacturers. Angry for their criminal negligence and the lack of justice for similar incidents, Marcus hacked into the accounts of the company's CEO and other responsible executives in a successful attempt to drive everything they'd built into bankruptcy. It was then that the young mandrill realized his true passion for honorable crime and has used his talents in such a brilliant, yet anonymous way ever since.

Jim was a less open book. A year older than Marcus, Jim didn't have many shirts his size, so every now and then Conner caught glimpses of his tattooed physique; tattoos of so many variety that Conner lost count. Born to more modest living than his partners, Jim's father was a repairmen and his mother a nurse. When asked of the whereabouts of his family and his descent to crime, he merely kept his silence. It appeared that despite the burly walrus dedicating himself to the gang, he, like Conner, still had a long way to go in terms of truly trusting his teammates and establishing a true brotherhood.

Conner was hopeful that their next field job would solve that problem.

It was a nice morning in the safe house as Marcus and Jim were enjoying their breakfast pancakes. Walking over to the table with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, Conner tossed the newspaper onto the table so that the front page was presented to his two friends.

Taking a break from his breakfast, Jim took a peek at the newspaper. "So the 'Amphibious Rogue' struck again. Never heard much of him back at home."

Turning the newspaper over to Marcus, Jim went back to eating as Marcus nodded in agreement.

"Not surprising, considering he mostly operates in European waters," he stated. Turning to Conner with an eyebrow arched, Marcus asked the question Conner was expecting, "You want us to go after him, Conner?"

"Why not? I think he's gone on long enough, don't you?"

The Amphibious Rogue was a name used for a mysterious, yet rising, star in the criminal underworld. First appearing eight years ago, the Rogue began his pirate career stealing from small cargo ships around Wales before attacking larger cruise liners throughout the European Union. In each attack it was the same story, all the valuables were taken and all the people were killed. Whoever the Rogue was, he was clearly resourceful, greedy, and bloodthirsty. He'd never been seen or captured and his few crewman who were apprehended refused to reveal his secrets that would identify their boss other than the fact that he was a mechanical genius, a male, and an amphibian.

Despite his appalling infamy, Marcus couldn't help but shake his head in disapproval. "I'm not arguing with that, but the Rogue's no crooked museum director. He's a dangerous pirate who kills and pillages for a living. The fact that you're suggesting we go after him makes me question your sanity."

Finishing his breakfast, Jim nodded. "True. But you know what they say: the greater the risk, the greater the rewards."

Pondering over his ally's words, Marcus eventually sighed. "Alright, you win. But if we die I'm rubbing it in your faces for the rest of our after-lives," he said jeeringly.

Conner chuckled. "Fair enough. As soon as we're done eating, we'll hop in the new plane and head to London," he stated with a smirk?"

"How do you know he'll be in London?" Marcus inquired.

"A cruise liner, the SS Elizabeth will be leaving from London to New York City by the time we arrive. If I was the Rogue, and I'm so glad I'm not, that's what I'd hit next."

**[SCLOT]**

Traveling by the airplane they bought with Louvre art, the gang arrived in London several hours later. Conner briefly considered visiting his nephew Perseus, but decided that it would be unwise and unsafe for both of them.

London hadn't changed much for him. While it was once his home, now the city was nothing but a grim reminder of the life he used to have. Although Marcus and Jim tried to persuade him to stay a little longer and pull some jobs, Conner didn't want to attract too much attention and decided that they'd leave as soon as they found the Rogue and took him down.

When the time came, the Cooper Gang snuck onboard the SS Elizabeth and stowed away in the cargo hold until the coast was clear for them to come out of the trick boxes they were hiding in.

Emerging around 8:00 PM, the three thieves disguised themselves as waiters with clothes they already obtained and traveled to the entertainment area of the cruise. As they kept a close eye on their surroundings, Conner could hear Jim exasperatingly messing with his bow tie.

"This is ridiculous," said Jim. "We should have stayed in the cargo hold and waited until the Rogue showed up. At least then we wouldn't have to wear these uncomfortable things."

"I'm aware that you and clothes have a bad history, McSweeney, but we need to be as anonymous as possible," Marcus tried to explain.

"I know, I know, we have to keep the cops off our tails. I just hope he does show up to make all this trouble worth it."

Conner couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I know we're all on edge, but the quicker we get to take down the Rogue the quicker we get out of here. Just remember the plan. As soon as that ship of his shows up, we'll sneak aboard, move as much treasure as we can on one of his life boats, and sail back to shore so we can stock and sell it. Then we go home."

"It's a lot of open water between us and London, Conner." Jim said in a pessimistic tone.

"It does sound unrealistic," agreed Marcus.

"We broke into the Louvre and got rich," Conner retorted confidently. "I think we can take on some silly frog. And my brother used to study the Rogue's exploits back in his early days. That means what he knew, I know too."

Their conversation was interrupted when three cannon shots were heard off the starboard side. Turning their heads, they saw a tall pirate ship coming closer to cruise. Conner recognized the ship's pirate hatted, skull-shaped flag as the Amphibious Rogue's banner. Three more cannon shots were fired on the ship, breaking off chunks of wood upon impact. With complete chaos ensuing around them as people panicked and fled, the Cooper Gang realized their chance had come.

"Once his cronies start playing pirate, we'll jump aboard the Rogue's ship and do a little pillaging of our own!" Conner instructed, raising his voice over the screaming as he pulled out his cane.

"What about all these people?" Jim replied. "I'm a thief! I don't leave people to die!"

Just as Jim was proclaiming his concern, several armed guards imbued with the Interpol insignia emerged from the crowd. They were led by none-other than Inspector Diego Fox.

Seeing things unfolding, Jim relaxed somewhat. "Never mind."

As the Interpol agents were preparing themselves for what came next, the pirate ship arrived close to the Elizabeth and its crew prepared to board. In a matter of moments, several walrus and squid pirates fought their way towards the Interpol agents. As everyone else was distracted by the fight that erupted, the Cooper Gang jumped onboard the pirate ship unseen and headed for the lower decks. As soon as they were sure that the guards were off their trail, the gang took off their disguises to don their more comfortable attire.

"While Fox is providing entertainment, we'll help ourselves to the treasures." said Conner. "You still have that metal detector, Doc?"

"I never leave home without it." Marcus responded with a smile as got a small, black device from his sleeve.

Following the detector's range, they walked to the ship's lower cabins and opened a door to a room filled with treasure. In the center of the room was a tall throne. Near it was a jar of bees and a staff with two metal poles on the top. Colored in yellow, it seemed to belong to someone who fancied himself a royal. As soon as the gang started grabbing treasure, the flushing of a toilet was heard nearby. Luckily the three thieves were quick on their feet and managed to crouch behind the larger stockpiles of gold and jewels. The Cooper Gang then watched in silence as the Amphibious Rogue himself entered.

Walking casually through the nearby bathroom door, the Rogue was a short frog with a powder wig and a blue, stitched up hat. He wore gloves on his hands and straps on his webbed feet. His red eyes suggested he was quite mad. Laughing in a Welsh accent, he appeared to be almost clueless to the battle outside.

"I wouldn't go in there for the next twenty minutes." the Rogue commented on his trip to the restroom. As the mischievous frog hopped onto his throne, Conner snuck a clear glance at his face, recognizing immediately who he was dealing with.

"Freeze!" Conner exclaimed as he emerged from his hiding place, cane in tow.

Shocked from this unexpected surprise, the Rogue pulled his hands up in the air. After getting a closer look at his captor, the frog looked even more surprised.

"Conner Cooper?" the Rogue asked confused.

Emerging from their hiding places as well, Jim and Marcus looked equally confused.

"You know this chap?" Marcus asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice.

"In a way/" Conner admitted. "This is Sir Raleigh. He's one of the wealthiest aristocrats in the Commonwealth of Nations. My brother Michael knew him briefly at Oxford during his first year."

"And I was relieved to hear that he died a painful death!" Raleigh said in a callous tone. "He always argued that I should take my aristocratic responsibilities more seriously."

Angered deeply by the mention of his brother's death, Conner swung at Raleigh with his cane to the throne. "He was a better man than you'll ever be!"

Composing himself once more, Raleigh wouldn't back down. "And now I see all those rumors about you and your family were true, you're nothing more than a lowly thief. Your only companions being these two sidekicks of yours."

"Sidekicks!?" snapped Marcus. "We aren't his sidekicks!"

"Yeah, we're equals!" Jim added angrily. "And at least we don't kill people for a living."

Placing the point of his cane on Raleigh's neck, Conner moved closer.

"Why are you doing this, Raleigh? You don't exactly need the money."

"It's called greed, Conner." said Marcus. "What did you expect?"

"That was a bonus." Raleigh arrogantly stated. "It gave me more money than I'd ever had to share with the common rabble. But the true reason I went to piracy after graduation was because after so many years of living the luxurious life, I was left with a bad case of boredom. I needed a new sport to play and I found it. Simple as that."

Saying his last words with a casual, crooked toothed smile made Raleigh's captors even more disgusted.

"You're one sick frog," said Jim in spite, his companions sharing looks of agreement.

"Let's just get all the loot we can get and leave," Conner stated impatiently, having grown tired of Raleigh's presence.

Raleigh merely shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no, Cooper. You aren't going anywhere. Time for me to squash you all like the worthless insects you are!"

With a flick of his tongue, Raleigh grabbed hold of his staff and hit Conner on the head. On instinct, Jim ran towards the mad frog, only for Raleigh to jump into the air to dodge the walrus' punches. As Conner regained his stance with Marcus' help, he saw that Raleigh had opened the jar with his tongue. As bees emerged, the mad frog ate one and surprisingly grew to gargantuan size. The bloated Raleigh then proceeded to attempt to squash the Cooper gang only for them to keep dodging his attacks. As the bees' effect wore off and Raleigh was returning to normal size, Jim then quickly punched the Amphibious Rogue straight through the cabin windows and into the ocean.

Panting from the fight, the Cooper gang took deep breaths to regain their momentum.

"How did he get so big?" Jim asked in bewilderment.

"Well besides cruise liners, he also attacks cargo vessels carrying chemicals." Marcus tried to rationalize. "One chemical in particular has a temporary bloating effect on amphibians."

"You think he'll come back up?" Jim queried.

"Let's not wait to find out." Conner said urgently. Pointing to the nearest treasure chest, he gave orders to his comrades. "I think we'll do fine with one chest okay? We can't risk anyone catching up to us."

Nodding in agreement, the three thieves grabbed the chest and headed for the life boats on the top deck. Just as they dropped the chest into the nearest motor boat and got ready to leave, they noticed the severe lack of fighting on the cruise nearby. Turning their heads to the cruise, the Cooper gang saw Inspector Fox boarding the pirate ship, followed closely by several Interpol agents, suggesting the fight was near its end.

"Freeze!" Fox ordered as he saw the three getting on the life boat. As the Cooper Gang placed their hands in the air, Fox took a closer look at the three and looked surprised, "Conner Cooper?"

"You know this guy too?" Jim asked Conner confused.

"Did I mention he was in charge of what went down at my mansion?"

"No, you left that out of the equation!" Marcus said annoyed.

Pointing his shock pistol once again at the three, Fox continued talking.

"You three match the descriptions of the Louvre thieves. I don't know about the rest of your family, but it's very clear you're no more a criminal than the people who slaughtered them, Cooper. You're all under arrest!"

"Look, Diego, we aren't working for the Amphibious Rogue if that's what you're thinking." Conner tried to explain. "In fact, we saw him. He's none other than Sir Raleigh of Wales. He just got off the ship, but I'm sure you can catch him."

"I appreciate the Intel, but that doesn't change the fact you three are known thieves," the inspector said as he reached for his cuffs.

"Byko was dirtier than we ever were, Raleigh's even worse. That's who we steal from, other thieves. And the same went for all of my ancestors as well."

"That may be the case, but the criminals you rob still steal from the innocent. You're only repeating the process."

As they kept rationalizing their actions, the four didn't notice Raleigh coming back aboard. And his fury was unreal.

"Guards! Kill them all!" the Rogue called for his henchmen, who arrived quickly enough to get Fox's attention.

"I'm sure you guys can resolve this!" Conner said as the guards rushed in. Taking his cane, Conner cut the ropes keeping the life boat attached to the ship, causing it and its contents to drop on the ocean.

As the Cooper Gang regained their focus and kept the treasure from falling into the ocean, Conner took the motor lever and punched it. With that, the three thieves made their swift escape as they sailed back to London.

Over the motor, the three could scarcely hear Diego's voice.

"I'll find you, Cooper! It's only a matter of time before I discover the truth!"

Turning their eyes one last time at the two ships, the Cooper Gang caught a glimpse of a frog-like figure making his own escape, revealing that they unfortunately hadn't seen the last of Raleigh.

"So much for our anonymity, chaps," Marcus said, his face in the palm of his right hand.

"Hey, we outsmarted the cobra lady. We can outsmart Interpol and the frog prince." Jim quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Conner however wasn't convinced, "It's not them I'm worried about. I fear we'll attract far worse attention."

They stayed quiet for a few moments, contemplating Conner's words. Conner himself eventually changed the subject, "Well at least we're not dead. I'd say it was at least a partial success, wouldn't you, Doctor?"

"A partial success!?" Marcus stammered. "We only made off with one chest and we were identified by Inspector Fox! I wouldn't call that a success at all!"

Jim shifted awkwardly, "Yeah, Conner, I got to agree with Marcus on this one," he said. "Talk about uncomfortable disguises. I nearly hung myself for crying out loud!"

**[SCLOT]**

Deep in the active Krack Karov Volcano in Russia, stood an industrial fortress. The fortress was protected by machine legions of Robo-Falcons and artificial life forms composed of lava know as Fire Slugs. It symbolized a crowning achievement of criminal enterprise. For this lair was the home of none other than Clockwerk, the immortal nemesis of the Cooper Clan and in many ways, the greatest evil the world had ever known.

Within its walls, Clockwerk watched the news that had confirmed his two-year old suspicions.

"As of 8:30 PM tonight, the Amphibious Rogue attacked the SS Elizabeth," Interpol Inspector Diego Fox reported on the news channel. "Thanks to the brave efforts of my fellow Interpol agents, his attack ended before any civilian casualties occurred. During the attack, I hopped aboard the Rogue's pirate ship and not only discovered his true identity of Sir Raleigh of Wales, but that Conner Cooper is alive and well as a highly skilled thief. Cooper was involved in the Louvre heist along with his accomplices, both male. One of them is a walrus covered in tattoos, and the other a mandrill in a lab coat. They arrived on Raleigh's ship in a partly successful attempt to steal his treasure. Both Cooper's team and the Rogue managed to escape, but local law enforcement is investigating Raleigh's home mansion. Meanwhile, my team and I are continuing investigating everything we can on the so-called 'Cooper gang.' I wish I could explain more, but I have criminals to get."

Turning his TV off, Clockwerk relaxed in his resting place.

"Conner Cooper is still alive and carrying on his family's legacy." He said to no one in particular. "Considering his theft of the Louvre in Paris he must be based there. Perhaps I will discover the secret of the Cooper Clan's immense wealth before I snuff out Conner for good."

**[SCLOT]**

**To be continued**

**[SCLOT]**

**Behind the scenes**

**[SCLOT]**

**I based the Raleigh scene from the Mandarin revelation scene in Iron Man 3. Although I made the character in question more menacing. I thought giving Raleigh a connection with the Cooper's would make things interesting. I'll give details on how Diego will eventually know who the rest of the Cooper Gang is. I based Raleigh's staff from concept art in the first game. And don't worry. You haven't seen the last of him yet.**


	4. City of Fear

**Chapter Three: City of Fear**

**[SCLOT]**

After returning to London, the Cooper Gang decided it would be best if they laid low in the hanger where they kept their plane until Interpol's eyes and ears were focused more on Sir Raleigh and less on them. A week had passed and the authorities hadn't found any trace of either criminal.

As the three thieves ate their lunch, Conner decided to speak what was on his mind.

"Considering the lack of cops on our tails, I guess we can head back to Paris soon enough."

"Good to hear." said Marcus as he finished his banana. "We'll have to save what's left of the heist money as well."

Jim then said his own piece. "What about Raleigh? I know fighting him isn't in the job description exactly, but I'm still peeved about what he's done. Besides, we don't want him on our backs either."

"I don't know, Jim." Marcus replied. "I really don't want his actions on my conscience, but I don't want to get arrested or killed either."

"True," Conner agreed. "But he could be a danger to everyone now that he's on the run. And now that I think about it, taking him down could prove most beneficial. Not only would we get our hands on some more treasure, but his defeat by our hands could send a message to everyone else that we can't be taken down so easily."

"Now you're talking!" Jim exclaimed as he got up from his seat.

Seeing that any argument on his part would prove to be moot, Marcus face-palmed before joining this agreement.

"Alright, fine. But as soon as we lose track of him, or Fox gets his nose on ours, then can we make a tactical retreat?"

"Deal." Conner responded, smiling as he took his hand out for a united gesture. Marcus joined as well, placing his hand on his ally's, only to be followed instantly by Jim, who slammed his huge hand down with much more bravado. The other two thieves were momentarily shocked by the force of their burly friend's hand, but kept their smiles nonetheless.

**[SCLOT]**

Pouring through informant after informant, the Cooper Gang eventually learned that some of Raleigh's thugs had been seen touring the Big Ben clock tower for the past few days. Whatever Raleigh was planning, it was clear the tower was involved.

As the three thieves arrived through the bus, they heard gun shots within the tower. Running through the panicked crowd, they tore off the black hoodies they wore as disguises and saw several of Raleigh's walrus and squid guards taking nearby people hostage. Many others were placing what appeared to be a nuclear warhead at far side of the tower.

"How did Raleigh get himself a nuke!?" Marcus exclaimed. He and his friends were definitely not expecting this.

"Let's just say it's one of the perks of nobility and technical brilliance!" echoed a familiar voice from above.

Turning to gaze to the voice's direction, the gang saw Sir Raleigh himself standing atop a nearby balcony, laughing in a maniacal manner.

"It took a lot of planning and bribes, but I was able to acquire its parts and put them together. I've been saving it just for this very occasion. You took away my family estate, so it's only proper that I go out with a bang!"

Continuing to laugh in a mad state, the frog hopped down to the street and ran into the tower.

"He's not getting away that easy!" Big Jim exclaimed in a confident tone. Taking out his knockout gas can, the large walrus sprayed the entire area while he and friends covered their mouths. In a matter of seconds, everyone, but the thieves fell unconscious.

Walking over to the nuke, Conner examined the timer and saw that they only had seven minutes and counting before Big Ben exploded in a radioactive mess.

"We don't have a lot of time, gentleman." Conner told his friends as they came to him. "I'll go after Raleigh, while you chaps try to stop the countdown."

"What!?" Marcus stammered. "Conner, I'm good, but not that good!"

"There's no time to argue. We either do this or millions of people are dead!"

After giving his orders, Conner made for the stairs and ran as fast as he could.

Seeing that he hadn't time to waste, Marcus took a deep breath before kneeling down to begin work on the nuke. Just as beads of anxiety began to roll down the purple mandrill's face, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Marcus turned only to see Jim staring at him with a reassuring smile.

"I know you can do this, buddy," the walrus said in a genuine tone.

His confidence rejuvenated, Marcus removed the lid of the nuke and began cutting wires. The counter only had two minutes to go, when someone else suddenly emerged from the entrance.

"Freeze!" another familiar voice ordered. Turning their heads around, Jim and Marcus saw Diego Fox pointing his shock pistol at the two.

"We don't have time to play cops and robbers, Inspector! I'm trying to disarm a nuke for Kong's sake!" Marcus asserted in a tone of irritation.

Realizing he came at a bad time, Diego pondered over his options before asking the two thieves a question.

"Where are Raleigh and Cooper?"

"Try the top." said Jim. "But right now we need to work together or we're all going to die."

"Point taken, for now," Diego admitted before lowering his pistol and following Jim's instructions.

Returning to their work, Marcus and Jim noticed that they only had half a minute left before detonation! Slightly panicking, Marcus frantically tore out several more wires until the counter finally froze.

After a moment of silence and a deep sigh of relief, the two thieves started laughing and fist pumping in joy.

**[SCLOT]**

Arriving at the bell chamber after climbing over three hundred limestone stairs, Conner felt absolutely exhausted as he examined the top floor for his enemy's location. Seeing his prey about to leave on a passing helicopter, Conner felt his body surge with energy as adrenaline took over and he lunged at his rival. The young thief struck Raleigh with his cane, knocking him off balance and keeping the mad frog from escaping.

"You idiot!" Raleigh yelled angrily. "You'll get us both killed!"

"Well you definitely don't know my style then." Conner replied in a confident tone.

Conner immediately swung his cane to hit the frog on the head again. Refusing to back down, Raleigh swung his own tongue to slap Conner. While his enemy was caught off guard from the momentary pain and revulsion, Raleigh signaled his men in the helicopter to fire their guns on the thieving raccoon. Breaking into a sprint to dodge their fire, Conner found himself getting closer to the tower's edge than he would've liked. As he was about to run out of space to run, the rapid bullet fire ceased suddenly as the helicopter was hit in the propeller with a shock bolt.

Finding themselves malfunctioning unexpectedly, the helicopter crew was forced to retreat; leaving their intended passenger behind.

"Where are you going!?" Raleigh demanded in a tone of rage.

"They're gone, Raleigh." Conner said with a smirk. "It's over for you."

"You insolent little twit!" the insane frog screamed as his long tongue shot out of his mouth and struck his hated enemy in the side of the head.

Conner winced in pain as he was knocked backwards. The blow to his head caused him to lose his balance and trip off the ledge of the enormous tower. Fortunately, the agile raccoon was able to catch the clock tower's edge before falling to his doom. However, Conner was still weakened from the fight, and felt his grip straining.

Soon after, the inevitable happened as Conner's hand slipped off the tower's edge. Just when it seemed that the young thief would fall helplessly to his death, a figure from above rushed in and caught him by the arm. Conner looked up in surprise. The sun's glare in his eyes left him unable to identify his rescuer as he was pulled up, though it definitely wasn't Raleigh.

Once he was safely back on the tower's edge, Conner looked up at his savior, only to see the surprisingly stern expression of Inspector Diego Fox staring back at him. It was clear to Conner that the Inspector wanted to ensure that nothing had truly changed.

"Don't misjudge the situation, Cooper. I still intend to arrest all of you. Simple as that."

Conner couldn't help but smile at the turn of events. "Even so, thanks for the save."

Before the inspector could reply, the two heard someone breathing heavily behind them. They turned to see Raleigh staring at them with killing intent in his eyes.

"You'll both pay for this!" Raleigh screamed at the top of his lungs before fleeing back into the tower. Conner and Diego were quick to follow, and found themselves standing in the clock tower's bell room.

As Raleigh started hopping around the bells in a fast capacity, Conner and Diego lost track of the mad frog's location.

"Back to back!" Conner suggested to Diego. As they did, both the fox inspector and raccoon thief felt they could tell where Raleigh would strike.

"I think I got him." Diego whispered to his unlikely partner.

As if on cue, the mad frog emerged from the shadows and flicked his tongue at Diego. Shocked from the surprise attack, he dropped his shock pistol allowing the evil amphibian to grab it with his tongue. Firing the pistol frantically at the pair, Raleigh enjoyed the thrill to the extent that didn't care whether or not he was actually hitting his targets. In his kill rage, the sinister pirate didn't notice Conner sneaking up behind him.

With a swipe of his cane, Conner threw Raleigh through the open cracks of the bell tower. The vengeful frog was quick to react however, using his tongue to grab hold of Conner's cane and drag the young thief down along with him. The two criminals fell for a short time until they managed to grab hold of the minute and hour hands of the clock tower. Raleigh had lost the pistol to the ground below during the fall, leaving him relatively defenseless for Conner's next attack.

Raleigh tried to swing his tongue once more, but Conner swiftly leapt over the attack and struck the evil frog with his cane until he began to lose his balance.

Realizing his error in judgment, the honorable thief tried to grab the panicking frog before he fell. But Conner was too late. As the Amphibious Rogue screamed to his apparent doom, a metallic bird-like figure rushed in from the distance and caught Raleigh in its talons before taking off moments later.

Despite the quickness of the bird's arrival and retreat, Conner recognized the appearance all too well. It matched the description of Clockwerk's Robo-Falcons found in the Thievius Raccoonus.

"Need some help?" Diego called, snapping Conner out of his thoughts.

Turning his gaze to the fox standing above, Conner simply smiled and grabbed a piece of fabric from his belt while shaking his head.

"No, thanks! Better luck next time, Inspector."

Saying his piece, Conner then jumped from the hands and with the fabric, paraglided to a moving Jaguar where his teammates Jim and Marcus were waiting.

Watching all this from above, Diego thought about what had happened on that day. He couldn't help but admit he respected Connor and his gang for not taking part of Raleigh's mad schemes and for being incredibly skilled. Nevertheless, he knew this game could only end when one side had either given up or couldn't play anymore; especially considering Jim wasn't driving just any Jaguar.

"Those loco criminals better bring back my car."

**[SCLOT]**

Arriving at the Crown Jewel after a long day of working and investigation, James and his wife Margaret Van Coon were ready to relax for a time before picking up "Archimedes" from daycare. Aside from the usual management of coordinating Van Coon Industries, the couple also dealt with law enforcement and reporters upon the revelation one week ago. Publicly, they claimed they had no idea Conner was alive, but they knew some would doubt their word.

Upon hearing the door bell, James left his seat on the sofa and opened the door to see who it was. Opening the door, he saw no one and nothing except a small envelope on the floor. Picking up the envelope and opening it, James felt a combination of surprise and relief overtake him as he saw who sent the letter.

Returning to his wife on the sofa, James began reading the letter.

"Dear James and Margaret. I'm doing fine. After two years of preparation, I've formed my own gang and have pulled some good jobs as you may have noticed. I hope I haven't giving any of you too much of a headache. My partners, Big Jim McSweeny, and Marcus Moreau, have proven themselves quite well. But I haven't told them everything yet. I've watched as you've taken care of Perseus, and I think I speak for his parents as well when I say I couldn't have picked any better. Thanks from both of us. Hope to write again someday when I've got a good cover. Conner Cooper."

James and Margaret couldn't help but smile after reading Conner's words. Wherever he would find himself, it was clear to them that he could take care of himself just fine without forgetting his family.

**[SCLOT]**

The Robo-Falcon carried Sir Raleigh from London to the deeper forests of England. Night had fallen and the sinister amphibian was close to sleep, but he knew the night wasn't over for him yet. Seeing the Robo-Falcon making its landing on a cliff, Raleigh tried to be prepared for the worst, but deep down, was terrified of what fate had in store for him.

As the Robo-Falcon dropped him on the ground below, Raleigh saw himself face to face with his host.

A tall, robotic owl of a kind Raleigh had never seen or built before. His host had sharp, yellow eyes concealed in a menacing stare. When he spoke, his voice was filled with an unparalleled evil.

"The Amphibious Rogue," said the tall robot. "Or should I call you Sir Raleigh? Either way, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Clockwerk."

Raleigh's fears worsened even more. He knew the name well, the name of a supposedly mythical criminal mastermind. A force of evil so powerful and ancient even the few who believed in his existence wouldn't dare speak his name.

"What do you want from me?" Raleigh stammered.

"No need to be afraid, Sir Raleigh. I saved you from death and brought you here so we may talk of friendship and understanding," he explained in a reassuring tone that sent chills down the frog's spine. Placing his left-wing on Raleigh's back in an attempt to comfort him, Clockwerk went on. "I've always been fascinated by your pirate career and your mechanical genius. And it's recently come to my attention that we share common enemies; not only in law enforcement, but in Conner Cooper as well."

Hearing the words escape from Clockwerk's mechanical beak, Raleigh relaxed somewhat. A thought came to him: if Clockwerk hated Cooper as much as he did now, perhaps the two would make excellent allies.

His fear all but gone, Raleigh replaced his look of terror with one of wicked opportunism.

"What did you have in mind, my dear friend?"

**[SCLOT]**

**To be continued**

**[SCLOT]**

**I based the fight between Raleigh and the two rivals from the Deadpool fight in Wolverine Origins as well as Aladdin's first fight with the head thug of the Forty Thieves.**

**Clockwerk's meeting with Raleigh can be considered an archetype when two possible, evil allies come together. Like Jafar's "partnership" with Abis Mal. **


	5. Life's Gambles

**Chapter Four: Life's Gambles**

**[SCLOT]**

Moonlight etched on New York City. In the night, intrigues of both legal and illegal nature were taking place. One such intrigue was being hosted at a bar on the outskirts of the city, Cerberus. Within this shady nightclub, a spectacular cage fight was taking place, much to the appeal of the viewing audience and gamblers. Within the cage, there were two male dogs. One a Labrador retriever and the other a husky. They wrestled in a wild fashion, energized by hopes of defeating one another to fuel both their wallets and egos.

Far from the cage fight stood an incredibly muscular, hunchbacked bulldog with a thick mustache and mono-brow. Wearing a tank top and long brown pants, he looked more like a bodyguard than his own boss. Smoking on his cigar, he watched the fight in anticipation for a quick end. He cared little of who would win. As long as he took his percentage of the profits he was satisfied. Cerberus and every illicit activity that took place within was his responsibility. Therefore he saw it as his right to do whatever he pleases.

His name was Anthony Mugger, but the American underworld knew him primary as the infamous gangster, Muggshot.

Though not well-known for his intellect, Muggshot had eluded law enforcement for many years and engaged in enough horrific crimes to earn himself an infamous and feared reputation as a strong and intimidating symbol of injustice. His ever-growing rap sheet described crimes ranging from gambling and smuggling to robbery and even murder. Ever since his young adult years, Mugger had beaten and killed anyone who got in his way while profiting from their suffering.

Yet one must remember he wasn't always like this. Born the runt of the litter in a rough neighborhood, Anthony was bullied to no end by his taller, stronger peers. His only true friends were the actors and fictional characters he witnessed on TV and in the movie theater. It was during one visit to _The Dogfather_ where he saw his first gangster and decided that his future would be crafted in none other than the criminal underworld. Inspired by his dreams of great power and respect, Mugger spent years on exercise and steroids until he obtained his revenge on his childhood bullies. But his dreams didn't end there. The newly titled Muggshot aspired to become the ideal gangster and to be feared and respected by all. He endured many struggles, but grew stronger as a result. Evolving from his position as the leader of a small time street gang, into one of the most powerful crime lords in North America.

"Hey, Tony," A female voice said in a seductive tone.

Turning to his right side, Muggshot saw his curvy, black poodle assistant in casual clothing, Lucy Cerberus, standing by him with an eager smile. Lucy was the official owner of the bar and had worked for Muggshot since she joined his original gang ten years prior. They weren't in an official romance, but they were close enough to be considered as such.

"What is it, Lucy?" Muggshot responded, returning his attention to the cage fight nearby.

"I was checking up on the newspapers when I saw something very good. Some upstart thief in Europe matches the description of a certain walrus who turned on you."

That tidbit of information was enough to divert Muggshot's attention away from the fight. The only walrus who'd ever stolen from him and escaped was one of his former thugs. The prospect of finally settling the score was enough to make the bulldog's tail wag.

"What do we know?"

"Not much," Lucy answered bluntly. "Even Interpol can't ID him, but he hangs around some nerdy looking monkey and a teenaged raccoon named Connor Cooper," she added. "They've been seen stealing from other criminals in London, England and Paris, France. Thought you'd be interested."

"I am. Tell the boys to ready the jet," Muggshot ordered as he turned away from Lucy. The burly bulldog chuckled to himself. "I've been meaning to expand, and what better motivation than settling an old score?" he mused. The infamous gangster glanced at his assistant out of the corner of his eye. "You're in charge until I get back."

Nodding in contentment, Lucy left his side to relay his orders. Returning his eyes to the fight, Muggshot saw the bout reach its climax as the Labrador finished off his opponent with a jaw-breaking punch.

**[SCLOT]**

Two months had passed since the attempted terrorist attack in London and the Cooper Gang was lying low to enjoy their time off. Conner kept the gang's acquired wealth at the far end of their safe house, only he knew the combination.

Despite this, whatever doubts he had had in his comrades were expunged after seeing them in action against Raleigh.

Although Jim was still quiet about his past, he and Conner agreed to train Marcus on how to fight. The scientist had much to learn, but he was eager to show his allies that he could take care of himself.

After training and sparring for over an hour, the three thieves took a break and chose to play poker for the afternoon. Big Jim took the initiative of teaching his less experienced friends how to play.

"This is quite the peculiar game." Marcus remarked.

"Tell me about it," Conner agreed.

"I'm surprised two reputable gentlemen like yourselves never learned the old 21," Jim commented while he was shuffling the cards.

"Well I guess being in a wealthy family of thieves doesn't necessitate that you have to gamble your possessions," Conner retorted.

Marcus grunted. "My parents said I need to use my money more responsibly," he explained. "Truth be told, I've never really been to a party or event hosted by someone outside my family."

Conner and Jim's attention to the game stopped and changed to Marcus' revelation.

"Is that why you're so uptight?" Conner asked with a playful smirk.

"Yes, yes, rub it in," Marcus grumbled in an irritated tone. The mandrill's expression turned melancholy as a thought came to him, "I guess the smart ones just aren't worth all that party stuff."

"Well you definitely earned your seat here after disarming that nuke, bud," Jim said reassuringly.

"Don't remind me," Marcus groaned. "That ranks among the most tense things I've ever done."

While Marcus' companions laughed at his expression, the mandrill thought of a way to change the subject.

"So, Conner, is everything about Clockwerk truly real?"

In the months since their first heist, Conner had been honest about his past and the Cooper Clan's inner workings and history. Although Marcus initially found it hard to believe that an owl could change himself into an immortal robot in ancient Egyptian times, he eventually began to accept some facts after listening to Conner's explanation.

"From what my Dad told me? Yes," Conner answered. "The book doesn't say much about how he came to be, but he's been hunting the Coopers for so long that I've come to believe everything about him. Including the fact he can't seem to die. Believe me, my ancestors tried."

"Did your folks ever tell you how they came to fight him?" asked Jim.

"Apparently one of his sick goals is hunting and killing my family, down to the most recent descendant," the young thief explained. "My Mom tried to expose him when I was five, next thing I knew she came home in a body bag." Conner spoke in an almost cold tone; the tone of a young man who'd come to terms with his tragedy.

"That's gotta hurt, buddy," McSweeney lamented.

A spell of silence emerged for a brief moment until Marcus decided to change the subject again, this time on Jim's past.

"Did you ever experience anything similar, McSweeney?"

Jim shuffled his cards again and sighed. Clearly he was still hesitant about his past.

"My Mom was taken from me when I was eight I think," he began. "The hotel we were staying at had a gas leak and some idiot decided that was a good time for a smoking break."

"I'm sorry," Marcus said genuinely. Conner himself had a sympathetic expression.

Jim half-smiled before going on.

"My Dad spent most of our lives on this auto repair shop that he inherited from my Grandpa in Manhattan. It wasn't much, but we lived," he explained. "After I got out of high school, I worked at the shop for a time until Dad got sick from some heart disease. There was some treatment, but it was very expensive. Dad tried to talk me into letting him go, but I was too afraid." The other two thieves noticed Jim's face darkening as he continued speaking. "I worked, saved money, and even sold the shop, but it still wasn't enough."

"That's where your life of crime began," Conner ascertained.

"I was becoming desperate. That's when I heard the local gangster was staging street races and cage fights. And I thought as long as I didn't get caught, beaten, or become a killer I could still save my Dad with my honor intact," the burly walrus went on. "However, there were a lot of gamblers and the boss tried to be fair in his dealings. Mostly for good business instead of any personal honor he had. No matter how many races and fights I won I still couldn't afford the treatment. The boss left me with three options: leave, join his gang for real, or get a loan. None of those sounded good to me."

"So you didn't make it?" Marcus stated in confusion.

"No. I got all the money I needed by stealing from the boss when he wasn't looking, but by the time the operation was about to take place, my Dad had a seizure and he didn't make it."

"That sounds like you had nothing to look forward to," Conner murmured as he thought of his own internal conflict.

"It was on that day I felt like my life had no meaning. I gave up everything to save my Dad and I failed. To top it off, I had an angry gangster aiming to kill me. I had to give up either to him, or the cops, or just leave altogether. I chose the latter. I spent five years moving from place to place getting money and food when and where I could, until you guys offered me this gig. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful, but I think my past will always haunt me."

Another moment of silence ensued until Conner decided to lighten the mood.

"How about we look for some local fights for you, Jim? It could help us make more money between jobs and it be good for your training."

Jim merely shook his head.

"I don't know, Con. What if we arouse attention? Besides I think this job has put me in enough hazards as it is."

"We haven't been caught yet."

Marcus rolled his eyes at his ally's fearlessness. "Seriously, Conner, your overconfidence will be the death of you someday," he said.

After thinking it over some more, Big Jim shrugged.

"Alright, you win. I'll think about it after one fight okay?"

Patting his friend on the shoulder, Conner smiled.

"Good man. I heard at the Black Chateau that there's this new fighting ring at some warehouse on the north side of Paris. Sounds like a good place to start."

"Just as long as I'm not the one getting hurt alright?" Marcus commented.

The other thieves merely laughed his comment off.

**[SCLOT]**

The next night, the Cooper Gang had driven to the warehouse where the fights were meant to take place. When Marcus attempted to dig up anything on who ran the fights, he came up with nothing except that whoever it was came from overseas. Either way, Conner felt his Gang could handle what life would hit them with next.

Arriving at the abandoned warehouse, the Cooper Gang walked into a menagerie of canine low-lives. In the center of the warehouse was a steel cage for the fights about to take place.

As the three thieves entered the warehouse, they were caught off guard when the entrance doors unexpectedly slammed shut. Turning their gaze to the dogs, the gang saw all of them glaring in their direction, seemingly ready for a fight.

"Uh, where's the fire?" Conner asked jokingly.

Booming laughter of an eastern American accent was heard throughout the warehouse. Following their ears to the farthest side of the warehouse behind the cage, the Cooper Gang saw a huge, gorilla of a bulldog walking towards them.

"Big Jim McSweeney!" The bulldog exclaimed. "It's been a very long time."

"Muggshot!" Marcus and Jim exclaimed out of surprise in unison.

Their exclamation in turn surprised Conner.

"You know this chap?" he queried.

"Don't let his name and lack of intellect fool you, Conner," Marcus explained. "I saw this fellow on the American news nearly all the time. He's cracked more skulls, robbed more banks, and escaped more prisons than you can count!"

"Remember that gangster I was telling you about the other night?" Jim stated. "Well this is him."

Muggshot walked menacingly towards the trio, allowing them to notice the large, twin machine guns on his back.

"Last time I saw you, Jimmy, you stole $5,000,000 from me," Muggshot recalled, a note of restrained anger in his voice. "Now look at you: a sidekick to an amateur thief and his pet monkey."

The gangster's last remark brought new ire to Marcus' face.

"I'm not a pet, and I'm certainly not a common monkey! If you want Jim, you'll have to go through me!"

Marcus' rants in turn prompted many of the canine mobsters and gamblers to pull their guns on the mandrill. Causing him to panic slightly and lose his adrenaline.

Jumping in the way of his friends, Jim tried to sway Muggshot to stop. "Look, Muggshot, I only stole from you to help my Dad. I'm sorry. It turned out to be all for nothing in the end," he explained frantically.

"I had a family once as well, McSweeney. I know how much it troubled you. But when you stole from me, you encouraged a lot of other losers to go and do the same. Mostly it's just pocket change these days, but it's still irritated me to no end," the bulldog stated angrily. "You could've stood with me and changed the face of the underworld, but no! You chose to turn on me, and I've been waiting five whole years to show you how that betrayal made me feel."

"You can have me, just let my friends go," Jim pleaded.

Muggshot let out a hearty laugh before simply shaking his head. "Oh, no, Jimmy. None of you are leaving here alive. But because I'm a dog of sport, I'll let you earn your freedom."

Realizing his former boss' true intent, Big Jim nodded. "Who'll I fight?" he inquired knowingly.

"Me. Who else? You always said you wanted to fight the best, now you've got the chance," Muggshot answered with a devilish grin.

Conner shook his head in protest, "Jim, I know you're strong, but do you really have a shot against that hunchback?"

Jim sighed deeply. "It's either one of us, or all of us. I've got no choice," he said, speaking with renewed urgency.

"That's not true, Jim!" Marcus tried to warn. "At least let us help you."

"This is my fight and I have to end it like I done years ago."

"Enough!" barked Muggshot. "I didn't come all this way just to be waited on. Make your choice, or I'll kill you all right here! Right now!"

Seeing that Muggshot's patience was wearing thin, Jim calmly walked through the crowd of canines and into the cage. Muggshot followed eagerly.

Once inside, they immediately started to stretch and prepare themselves.

"You know, Jim, I've only been here for a week and I honestly didn't expect you to come to me," Muggshot stated arrogantly.

"I never took you for a Paris pooch," Jim jeered in a rare moment of banter with the intimidating gangster.

Muggshot couldn't help but chuckle at the walrus' quip. "Well, Jimmy, I've recently acquired my own mode of personal transportation, you see. A jet, to be precise," he gloated. "When Lucy told me she read about someone matching your looks in the papers, I knew the time had come for me to go global."

Once all of their stretching and conversation had ended, both bruisers decided the wait was over.

"Alright," Jim remarked. "Give it your best shot!"

"Why do you think they call me Muggshot?!"

The two strong men began punching each other. Muggshot had the initial advantage due to his height and strength, scoring several early hits. It forced Jim to fall back and focus on his strategy.

Once the former brought the latter in an arm choke, Jim used his tusks to bite Muggshot's arm as deep as he could. Screaming in pain, Muggshot violently threw Jim at the cage before charging with unrecognized fury. Bringing Jim down on the floor, Muggshot proceeded to pummel his opponent repeatedly.

Watching it all from outside the cage, Conner and Marcus' worry turned into conviction.

"Okay, that's enough!" Conner exclaimed as he and Marcus began fighting their way through the mobsters and gamblers, Connor using his cane and Marcus putting his martial arts training to good use.

In a matter of moments, the two thieves defeated Muggshot's canine henchmen and hurried to the cage.

Breaking down the steel door, Conner pointed his cane at a surprised Muggshot.

"You've had your fun, Now stop it!"

"Come on, Cooper!" Exclaimed an impatient Muggshot. "From what I've heard you're all about fair play as I am!"

Marcus gritted his teeth. "What's fair about hurting a disadvantaged opponent?" the mandrill sneered.

"Sometimes the best way of getting rid of an obstacle is to simply kill it. But I'm not a sadist."

"You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!" Conner proclaimed with a twirl of his cane.

"Alright!" barked Muggshot, his patience beyond gone. The gangster reached for the holsters on his back and unleashed his twin machine guns. "No more games, I'll kill you all here and now!"

As Muggshot was about to open fire, he was unaware that Big Jim had regained his composure and was standing behind him. With both arms Jim grabbed the massive bulldog by the waist and lifted him into the air. The heavyset walrus then, with all of his strength, proceeded to throw Muggshot against the steel cage; temporarily dazing him and disarming him of his guns.

Muggshot groggily attempted to stretch a large arm out towards his nearest weapon, only for Marcus to rush in and kick it out of reach. Just when the infamous gangster was about to tackle the purple mandrill, he was caught off guard when Conner bounded off of the cage and struck the back of his head; knocking him unconscious.

The fight over, the three thieves took deep breaths before Jim spoke with an initially annoyed tone.

"I could've handled it, you didn't have to get involved."

Conner simply shook his head. "Haven't you learned anything in this team? There's no "I" in the Cooper Gang," the ring-tailed thief said with a wink.

"Excluding yourself, Conner," Marcus quipped in a smug tone.

"Oh, to heck with it," exasperated Jim as he pulled his partners into a tight hug.

"The sentiment is mutual, Jim, but you're crushing us," Marcus groaned while gasping for breath.

Letting go of his companions, Jim merely shrugged, "Let's go home."

"You said it, my friend," Conner agreed.

"After we help ourselves to any of their loot?" Marcus suggested.

"Good point." His companions said in unison.

**[SCLOT]**

**To be continued**

**[SCLOT]**

**Behind the scenes**

**[SCLOT]**

**I based Muggshot's real name from his other alias Two-gun Tony. And I thought it would be interesting to see McSweeny get connected with another villain. Had to revise because it turns out mandrills are monkeys, not apes. **


	6. Night of Three Heists

**Chapter Five: Night of Three Heists**

**[SCLOT]**

After defeating Muggshot, the Cooper Gang made an anonymous tip to Interpol before making their getaway. Considering the gangster's extensive rap-sheet of illicit activities spanning from North America all the way to Europe, Interpol was more than eager to pounce at the opportunity of busting the infamous crime lord upon receiving the location.

Muggshot was sentenced to twenty years in Heathrow Prison; the most heavily guarded prison in Interpol's possession at the time. Despite the Cooper Gang making a clean getaway, the vengeful Muggshot made sure to inform Inspector Diego Fox about Jim McSweeny and his connection to Conner Cooper.

Another month had passed until Conner decided they should get back to work. Their next target was the Necro Ruby at the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum in Louisiana.

In the month since their encounter with Muggshot, Jim and Marcus had physically changed considerably. The former had started growing a mustache while the latter now sported perfectly trimmed blonde hair.

"Another fair museum with another corrupt director," Marcus commented while Conner was debriefing the team.

With Muggshot behind bars, Jim felt secure enough to go back to the U.S. and joined his teammates on their plane.

As the gang's small biplane only had two seats, ewas forced to sit in the front pilot's seat with Marcus on his lap. It was embarrassing for the Mandrill, but he learned to cope.

As they soared through the night sky over the Atlantic, Conner couldn't help but think of his legacy. He told his family on the night they were massacred that he intended to marry, but he had been too caught up with his youth and choice of work to even consider finding a girlfriend.

"Are you alright, Conner?" asked Marcus, noticing their leader's silence.

Conner simply smiled.

"I'm fine, Doctor. Although I don't suppose you and Jim have ever thought about possibly settling down in the future?"

The two thieves considered the question for a moment before Marcus finally replied.

"You mean having a wife and children? I usually don't think about it. Besides, who would want to raise a family and be a public thief at the same time anyway?"

"Same here," Jim echoed.

Noticing how uncomfortable their answers had made Conner, Marcus opted to change the subject with his own question.

"Do either of you believe the story behind the Necro Ruby?"

"I don't even know what necro means," Jim admitted bluntly.

"Necro is the Greek prefix for death," the purple Mandrill explained. "According to legend, some explorers under the reign of Alexander the Great traveled through West Africa where they found a large ruby that a local Voodoo priest allegedly used to communicate with the dead. As the centuries passed the Ruby has been handed down from location to location until it was finally taken to the Historic Voodoo museum to be preserved, for its ties to African culture."

Conner grunted. "And by 'preserved' you mean kept in storage until it mysteriously disappears, only to be later found in the hands of the highest bidder," the Raccoon scoffed under his breath. "Something that valuable shouldn't go unchecked. Personally, I'm eager to see if the legend is true. I don't want to die immediately, but I'd give a lot to talk to my family again," the orphaned thief added.

"It does sound like a lot to take in, but I suppose we'll find out for ourselves." Jim said.

Marcus couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Oh, please! Don't tell me you chaps believe in magic of all things!"

After calming down slightly, Marcus began to explain his viewpoint. "Magic is a fine thing to observe and practice, but it's also illogical. I've heard of the 'impossible' feats that Voodoo practitioners, the Mask of Dark Earth, or the Chinese warlords of the Tsao family 'can' accomplish. And even if the stories are not pure fabrication, the 'impossible feats' are probably nothing more than illusions or unexplained science."

Conner pulled a knowing smirk. "You believed me when I told you about Clockwerk," he rebutted.

"Clockwerk's current state is a product of science. How it came to him in Ancient Egypt is a mystery of course, but it's easily explained," Marcus argued. "It could have been from an advanced civilization such as Atlantis, or some idiot from the future performing an immature, yet brilliant, experiment on him."

Now it was Jim and Conner's turn to laugh.

"You don't believe in magic, but you believe in underwater cities and time travel?!" Jim cackled.

Marcus was not amused. "Those theories have some basis in fact, my dear friend. The point is that there are a lot of unsolved mysteries in the world that date back entire lifetimes, and there's no way to prov-"

"Alright, alright, let's keep things civil," Conner interjected, trying to retain order. "We're only taking one treasure from the museum because there aren't enough ThiefNet black market consumers in the city, or enough time to rob the whole building. So as soon as we arrive in New Orleans, we'll plan our strike."

"Got it!" the other thieves said in unison.

**[SCLOT]**

Once they arrived in the city, Marcus detailed their plan of action. Using their newly modified remote-control plane, Marcus would fly Jim and Conner to the roof of the museum at 12:00 AM the next night.

Jim would use his strength to remove the windows of the skylight, allowing Conner to use the Laser Walk technique that he and Marcus had been working on, to move on the lasers without triggering the security alarms.

Conner would then sneak into the security room where he would repeat their Louvre heist; placing a log chip in the computers and giving Marcus control of the security systems and using knockout gas to take out the guards. After all of that was accomplished, Conner would finally be joined by Jim and the two would move in to steal the Necro Ruby.

On the night of the heist, Jim and Conner flew on the plane to the museum. Marcus was stationed on the roof of the nearby Hotel Provincial where he would coordinate with his comrades.

"Alright, boys, are you ready?" Asked Marcus through Jim and Conner's earpieces.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Conner answered.

Once they were over the museum, Jim tied a rope around his waist before giving the end to Conner and jumping out of the plane to the roof below. As soon as the burly Walrus landed, he motioned his hands for Conner to follow.

After tying the other end of the rope to the plane's controls, Conner hooked his cane onto the rope and ziplined down; joining Jim on the roof.

The two thieves carried out the plan. However, once they removed the nearest window, Conner and Jim caught a bad, yet familiar, odor.

"Uh, Conner, isn't that the knockout gas we use sometimes?" Jim asked.

"I believe it is," Conner answered. "But that means..."

"Someone else is robbing the museum?!" Jim and Conner concluded together. Clearly surprised to have been seemingly beaten at their own game.

"I haven't come this far to be upstaged!" Jim exclaimed as he took two gas masks from his zip bag.

Sharing his friend's enthusiasm, Conner quickly took the gas mask and put it over his mouth as Jim did the same. Seeing that the security systems have already been deactivated, the two thieves jumped down to the museum floor below with the rope as a counter balance. Once on the ground, they ran to the security room where they saw knocked out security guards and seemingly functional camera monitors. However, a closer inspection revealed a log chip already connected to the security feed.

"Hello? What's going on over there?" Marcus asked again.

"Someone's beating us to the punch, Doc," Jim reported as Conner replaced the log chip with their own.

"What!? I'm logging in now." A few seconds passed before Marcus spoke again. "Blast! It appears that the perpetrator already has the Ruby and is making for the front exit!" the Mandrill exclaimed.

"Anything we should know?" Conner asked, attempting to keep his cool. "Appearance? Weapons? Anything?"

"It appears to be a female Raccoon around your height and build, but don't get distracted by any feminine wiles. You need to get that ruby and get the heck out of there!"

Arriving to the exit as fast as they could, Conner and Jim saw the opposing thief with their own eyes just as she herself arrived at the exit.

Just as Marcus had described a female Raccoon stood before them. She had black hair that reached down to her shoulders and caramel-brown eyes that shined like stars. She wore diamond earrings and a thieving outfit similar to Conner's only with a black skirt and equally black shoes. She was only a few centimeters shorter than Conner and wore a similar gas mask. In her hands was the large, rectangular Necro Ruby itself.

To Conner, she was the most perfect, beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. So stunning he could feel his heartbeat quicken and his legs weakening; he was even sweating and blushing a little at the same time. However, he had to remember she was a rival to his goal and had to either be defeated, or bartered with.

"Uh, excuse me?" Conner called as he tried to regain his nerve. "Not to be hasty, or anything, but I think there's been a misunderstanding. Maybe we can work something out on that jewel. Like… split the money, take turns with it, or whatever you think is best," the master thief muttered awkwardly, trying to appear suave but failing horribly.

Big Jim then bumped shoulders with Conner.

"Seriously?" Jim stated in a tone of annoyance. "You're going to get cold feet and try to negotiate with our rival because you think she's cute?"

"First of all, she's beyond cute, and second, would you want to hit a girl?"

"I'm right here you know!" exclaimed their rival in a matter of fact tone. She spoke in a charming French accent.

Realizing that arguing wouldn't get them anywhere, Jim gave up.

"Fine, we do this your way," McSweeney conceded.

Turning to their rival, Conner decided to start with introductions.

"My name's Conner Cooper and this is Big Jim McSweeney. And you are?"

"Not important," the woman responded sternly. "I've heard of you two. You've earned my respect, but this ruby is mine."

"No, it's not!" Jim roared as he rushed at the rival thief.

As Jim and the woman prepared to fight, five tall, brown rats crashed through the front entrance. They all wore black pants with a red band, necklaces made of bones, candles on their heads, and two orange bracelets on their left arms. Each rat also carried a staff with a skull on top that emitted a powerful light and their own gas masks. They appeared to be hermits of some sort.

"Get the ruby!" the leading rat ordered as he and his fellows raced to the female raccoon.

On instinct, Conner moved forward in the way of the rats and with his cane swung at them.

Upon seeing Conner attacking the newcomers, Jim followed suit and started punching the rats.

Believing the rats were focused more on the Cooper Gang then her, the female Raccoon ran as fast as she could with the ruby in hand towards the exit. Suddenly, another rat hermit emerged just as she was escaping and swiped the ruby from her grasp. The woman lunged at the rat in an attempt to reclaim the ruby, but the sneaky assailant kicked her in the stomach, briefly dazing her. The rat then turned around and sped off into the night.

Seeing this with their own eyes, Conner and Jim made quick work of the other five enemies before catching up with the ruby thief. But by the time they were outside, the remaining hermit engulfed himself in a red-orange energy and disappeared in a flash.

"What the heck!?" Jim exclaimed. "Where did he go?"

Conner was quite surprised himself. But he and Jim had to focus and escape before the guards inside of the museum regained consciousness.

"Let's just get the girl and get out of here."

Returning to the museum's lobby, Jim and Conner found the other hermits were gone as well and their rival trying to regain her balance after being kicked in the stomach. Helping her up, Conner was still confused over the rats' disappearance.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She replied. "I take it the Voodoo Mystic who had the Ruby is gone, too."

"I'm afraid so."

"Wait…" Jim said, perplexed. "Voodoo Mystics? Like in the movies or something?"

"More or less," Their rival replied. "Their beliefs are a cross between West African, Haitian, and Louisiana Voodoo. Their teacher is a priestess named Mz. Ruby. And Apparently I'm going to have to take up your offer on working together." Holding her hand for a shake, she finally introduced herself. "Kayla Rose."

Engaging in the shake, Conner smiled under his mask. "A perfectly beautiful name for a perfectly beautiful woman."

Kayla just laughed. "You're going to have to do a lot better than that, but I'm flattered."

"Less flattery, more escaping!" Jim exclaimed, having lost his patience for their flirting.

"We'll go to my hotel." Kayla suggested.

"Let me guess, the Provincial?" Conner guessed. "Our other partner is there."

"Good to hear." Kayla replied as the three thieves ran as fast as they could to the Provincial.

**[SCLOT]**

Upon arriving at the Provincial, Kayla and the Cooper Gang began discussing their course of action. After introducing Kayla to Marcus, Conner decided to learn more about Kayla for both personal and professional reasons.

"How did you got caught in this line of work, Kayla?" he asked. "And how did you get past the security systems in the museum?"

"All I had to do was get some knockout gas in the ventilation, disguise myself as a guard, and place a log chip in the computers. In other words, my heist was based on your first one," Kayla explained.

"As for my past, I was born into a very wealthy and influential family back in France," the female thief admitted. "My family made their fortune from building and supplying art museums. Everything was going well until my parents were assassinated by an unknown party a year ago. When law enforcement was struggling, I decided to do my own investigating and discovered that the responsible party was none other than the legendary Clockwerk."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Conner said somberly, empathizing with Kayla's familiar tragedy. "According to my family's records, Clockwerk is known for killing museum contractors and replacing them through untraceable proxies."

"When I attempted to get my parents' replacement to talk, one of Clockwerk's Robo-Falcons disposed of him. I've been on the run ever since, trying to uncover proof of Clockwerk's involvement in my parents' murder," Kayla explained. "I traveled the globe, gathering leads, learning martial arts, and even visit the Australian Outback to learn about the Dreamtime."

"What do you mean by Dreamtime?" Jim asked curious.

Marcus scoffed, "I've heard of it. It's supposed to be some Aboriginal spiritualist art that grants adept telekinesis among other things."

Jim's dumbfounded expression remained, "And telekinesis is?"

"The ability to move things mentally, you imbecile," Marcus answered with a sigh.

"I take it you don't believe in magic, Professor?" Kayla guessed.

"I'm more of a logical realist myself. I base everything I know about the world on science and fact," the Mandrill explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

"He actually thinks Clockwerk's condition is based on 'Atlantean' technology," Conner added with a smirk.

Kayla couldn't help but chuckle. "I see. So, how would you feel about magic if I did this?"

With the wave of her hand, Kayla mentally moved Marcus from his seat and to the ceiling. Kayla was enjoying herself while the Cooper Gang looked surprised. Lowering Marcus down, Kayla waited for his response.

"Oh my goodness!" Marcus exclaimed. "Have you ever experienced gene-splicing?"

"What?" everyone else said in unison.

"It's the only logical explanation. I should know. I'm fully qualified to give a whale the wings of a dragonfly, but I haven't done it out of ethical restraint," Marcus clarified, clinging to his scientific viewpoint.

Kayla's look of surprise vanished when she chuckled again. "Apparently you are going to be harder to convince, Marcus. Regardless, after I completed my Dreamtime training I decided to become a vigilante of sorts. I steal from the corrupt and use my gains to fund my war on Clockwerk and other criminals like him."

"And how does Mz. Ruby play in all this?" Conner inquired.

"I met her when I was investigating this protection racket in Haiti five months ago," Kayla said. "Eventually, I discovered that Mz. Ruby was using her powers to exploit the locals by summoning ghosts to attack the village and forcing the civilians to pay her in order to make the attacks stop."

"Obviously she has energy projectors and a teleportation device," Marcus interrupted.

"Marcus, try to shelf the scientific skepticism for a bit," Conner instructed.

"I've been following Mz. Ruby ever since," Kayla went on. "When I tracked her to Louisiana, I figured she would go after the Necro Ruby. Aside from the other Voodoo collectibles, it's the one with the most real power. In the hands of a powerful Voodoo practitioner, it could be used to summon an army of powerful spirits and other undead entities in only a short amount of time. In other words, we are talking about Voodoo world domination."

"How do we find her?" asked Jim.

"Her base is on a small island in the nearby bayou. For the moment, I suggest that we plan our strategy and move out before it's too late."

After sharing looks with his friends, Conner rose from his seat and walked closer to Kayla.

"Can we trust you?" Conner questioned. "Not that I would insult someone like you without good reason."

Kayla smiled and kissed Conner on the cheek.

"Trust me, handsome, I don't double cross without good reason. In fact, I would be honored to join you. When I was exploring England I noticed to we appeared to share a common enemy."

Conner blushed slightly and returned the smile.

"Alright, I'll take a leap of faith then."

"I'm going to get my belongings, I will return soon. Then we'll get ourselves a speed boat," Kayla stated as she rose.

And with those words, Kayla exited the room. Conner then noticed Marcus and Jim were staring at him with knowing smiles.

"What?" he asked in a tone of slight annoyance.

"How adorable!" teased Marcus. "We've only been here a day and you already found yourself a love interest."

"Very sweet," Jim added jovially. The burly Walrus's expression hardened slightly, "But are you sure we can trust her, Conner?"

"I don't know," Conner admitted. "But I think we should give her a chance."

**[SCLOT]**

Deep in the New Orleans bayou, stood a small island with a large base camp in the center. On the island were many more Rat Voodoo Mystics.

As the Rats enjoyed their food and stories, the blue, feline ghosts absent-mindedly patrolled the island. At the center of the base camp, was the tent belonging to the Mystics' leader.

Emerging from her tent, the leader was a dark green Alligator with a lighter green belly and mouth, along with sharp teeth, spikes on her tail, and dark blue hair. She wore a pinkish-purple sleeveless shirt, a gold necklace around her neck, a red jewel in her belly, a red bandana on her head tying up her hair, and one gold ring on each of her ankles and two on her wrists. Her fingernails and toenails were also painted red.

The world knew her as Mz. Ruby, and her existence was nearly as enigmatic of that of Clockwerk or the former Amphibious Rogue.

Born in a family of mystics, Ruby tried her hardest to make friends with her fellow children. However, her peers couldn't see past her reptilian appearance, carnivorous nature, unnatural lifestyle, and Voodoo powers. They all shrieked in terror instead.

Ruby tried to find solace by resurrecting the dead and having tea parties with them. Unfortunately, it failed to soften the lonely bitterness rising in her heart. As she grew older, Ruby entered into a career of crime and used her powers to break the laws of both man and nature. She cared little for the people around her, considering the treatment she was given as a child. Despite this, she preferred to see herself as something of a mother to her Voodoo apprentices and creations. She did not approve of serial killing.

Engaged in her thoughts, Mz. Ruby didn't notice one of her Mystics enter her tent.

"What is it?" she asked her servant in a calm, Cajun voice.

"The Necro Ruby is yours, Mz. Ruby." Said the Mystic as he showed her the Ruby.

Taking it from his hands, Mz. Ruby was exceptionally pleased.

"The Necro Ruby for Mz. Ruby, How fitting."

"There's just one problem, Mistress," the rat spoke with hesitation. "When we arrived at the museum, Kayla Rose and two others were there. I recognized the other two as the European thieves Conner Cooper and Big Jim McSweeney."

Hearing this, Ruby placed the jewel on the fortune-teller table and took a look in her crystal ball.

"Yes indeed, they're planning to come here."

"Should we escape?" the mystic.

Shaking her head, Ruby casually gave her apprentice a devilish grin.

"Let them come. We're going to throw a Voodoo party they'll never forget."

**[SCLOT]**

**To be continued**

**[SCLOT]**

**Behind the scenes**

**[SCLOT]**

**I based Jim and Marcus' appearances from the fan art Sly Cooper: The Thieves Before. As for Kayla, she's based on Conner's love interest from Sly's Parents Love Story, the fanfiction where Sly's mother was a cat, and I intend for her to be to Conner as Kayla Silverfox was to Wolverine. **


	7. Jewel of the Dead

**Chapter Six: Jewel of the Dead**

**[SCLOT]**

After acquiring their red speed boat, a _110 MPH_, the Cooper Gang and their newest ally traveled through the New Orleans bayou. With Kayla guiding them, they expected to arrive at Mz. Ruby's hideout in half an hour.

As they journeyed, Conner frequently engaged in conversation with Kayla in an attempt to get closer. Aside from learning more about Mz. Ruby, Conner also learned a great deal about Kayla as well. Two years older than Conner, she was born in Paris and shared his passion for fine art and music and his disgust for Clockwerk and the more vile areas of crime. After her parents death, she had the same troubled thoughts Conner had until she met the Aboriginal Guru who taught her the Dreamtime while searching for Clockwerk's whereabouts in the Outback. She had a small interest in makeup not that Conner wasn't attracted to her without it. Kayla also claimed she had kept track of the Gang's actions ever since their Louvre heist.

"Alright." She told Conner. "Enough about me. What about you?"

"I come from a long line of thieves. Clockwerk has hunted down my family since ancient Egyptian times. Some of my family was lucky enough to escape alive. My parents, brother, and sister-in-law weren't so much fortunate."

"And your nephew?"

"He's safe. For a time, I was just as depressed as you were, but I refused to give up. I wanted to honor my family. Maybe even avenge them. After two years of training, I met Jim and Marcus on ThiefNet and we've pulled heists ever since. They're colorful, but I've learned to rely on them."

"How did you get a ferry and a truck to help you on the Louvre heist?"

"Marcus is a good hacker. He was able to make fake names for the "private party" on the ferry and the chap who rented the track. And all of it is untraceable."

"You must be a good leader to have gotten them this far."

"I don't mean to brag, but I take pride in it."

Marcus scoffed.

"Last I checked I mostly did all the work while you and Jim were pulling weights."

Jim, who was steering the boat slowly through the bayou, laughed.

"Trust me, Doc, getting those statues and paintings was no piece of cake."

"You seem to easy on the technical part of the job, Marcus." Said Conner. "Why don't you try something more challenging?"

"Do I look like I'm made of money and other limitless resources?" Marcus said incredulously. "What do you want me to do? Build a giant magnet?"

Conner, Jim, and Kayla laughed his comments off.

"Wait." Kayla ordered. "This is the place."

Upon hearing the words, Jim stopped the boat. Looking at the direction where Kayla's left index finger was pointing at, the Cooper Gang saw an island with tents scattered all over it and many rat Voodoo Mystics were patrolling the grounds.

"Looks like she hasn't left yet." Said Jim.

"Among other gifts, she has the ability of foresight." Explained Kayla. "She can catch glimpses of the future. So she must've known we were coming, but hopefully she doesn't know what we are planning."

"Which is?" Asked Marcus.

"Simple. We go in quietly and secretly and leave with the Ruby before anyone notices us."

"Sounds good to me." Said Conner in a confident tone.

"Of course." Marcus commented in an annoyed tone.

"Alright." Said Kayla. "I sense that the Ruby is in the tent at the island's center. If Marcus can swim, now's the time to show it."

"You're kidding right?" Said Marcus in his incredulous tone again. "I'm a non-swimmer! Water and I don't mix!"

"Sorry. I thought that since you are the shortest you might pull this off."

"You're insulting my height now?"

"Why don't you just let me do it?" Volunteered Jim. "I'm a walrus you know."

"Sure." Said Conner. "We needed a frog man anyway. Or walrus man depending on how you see it."

"It's better than him catapulting me there." Said Marcus.

"Alright." Said Kayla. "Just don't get caught."

And with that, Jim gently got into the water and swam to the island. On the boat the Cooper Gang saw Jim emerge on the island unseen and then walk across to Ruby's tent discreetly as well. Upon entering it, Jim quickly walked out with the rectangular Necro Ruby and retraced his steps back to the boat. Arriving only a few minutes after leaving.

"Nicely done, Jim!" Applauded Conner.

However, the short-lived applauding ended when unnatural creatures appeared over the boat.

Three specimens of each type of creature on both sides of the boat. They appeared to be something out of a horror story only much more real.

On the port side of the boat were three fiery, floating turtle skeletons.

On the starboard side were three transparent, dark blue ghosts with red eyes, oversized yellow teeth, and feline characteristics.

"Caught at the last moment by Ghost Cats and Demonic Turtles." Kayla commented. "Perfect."

Marcus merely chuckled.

"Oh please. These things are obviously just energy projections and other technical equipment that we find in a TV show/movie." Walking closer to the nearest Ghost Cat, he took his hand out and touched it. "Okay. That felt a little more realistic than I expected, but there's clearly a logical explanation for these things." Taking a radar from his pocket, Marcus studied the spirits and what he found baffled him. "Some new type of energy surrounds them. So either these so-called mystics are really mutants or this really is magic."

As Marcus tried to rationalize these events, the evil spirits started to move the boat to the island. Upon their arrival, the spirits vanished and were replaced by the rat Voodoo Mystics with Mz. Ruby in the center.

"Well, well, Kayla Rose." Said the tall alligator to her captives. "It's so good to see you again. And these must be your friends?"

"What do you want, Ruby?" Kayla asked with an unfriendly tone.

"All I want is to get back at the world for treating me like a monster. And what better way of doing it then by taking it over with a powerful army of the undead?"

Taking a break from his thoughts, Marcus walked closer to Ruby and tried to act confident.

"You can't fool me, lady!" Marcus stated. "I know you are nothing more than a charlatan! All this "magic" is nothing more, but a load of illusionist nonsense!"

With those words, Ruby ripped a piece of fur from Marcus' left arm. Then tied it around a Voodoo doll before pinching its rear end with a needle. The result brought Marcus screaming in pain.

"Sweet termites!" Marcus exclaimed out of disbelief. "All that magic nonsense is for real! Than what we saw were indeed ghosts!"

"Seriously?" Jim asked. "It took you this long to figure it out?"

Ruby made a cruel laugh before grabbing the Necro Ruby from Jim's hands.

"Now that's settled. Time for the main course."

"Oh, no!" Jim exclaimed. "I saw this in a movie. These crazy people are going to hold us down and take turns nibbling at our innards! Then they'll eat our brains and leave what's left of us for the vultures!"

Jim's rants had an effect of scaring his partners and disgusting their captors.

"I think I'm going to wet my pants." Marcus admitted.

"Fella, that's gross." Ruby flatly said. "Even for me."

"So you're not going to eat us?" Asked Conner.

"Nope. I'll just kill you right now and turn you into zombies."

With a snap of her fingers, Ruby's Voodoo Mystics, Demonic Turtles, and Ghost Cats closed in around the Cooper Gang. As Conner and his friends felt their end was near a familiar shock pistol shot was heard. In a flash most of Ruby's followers were catapulted into the water. When everyone else still standing turned their direction to the point of origin they Inspector Diego Fox standing by on a nearby Interpol boat. Shock pistol in hand.

"All of you are under arrest!" He ordered in a voice that seemed to insure immediate victory.

"How did you find us?" Said a shocked Mz. Ruby.

"More importantly, what took you so long?" Asked a smug Conner.

"It wasn't easy." Admitted Diego. "My sources told me they saw your plane leaving Paris and entering New Orleans. Then some locals told me people matching your appearances were at the museum. After that I had to plant a last-minute tracer on your boat. Now here I am."

Ruby mockingly clapped.

"Very interesting juju, Diego Fox." She said to the approaching Inspector. "I could always use more zombies."

With another snap of her fingers, Ruby's small army of Ghost Cats and Demonic Turtles swarmed at Diego. Acting quickly with his shock pistol, he fired at each of them until they were no more. As Diego distracted the evil spirits, the Cooper Gang attacked the Voodoo Mystics. As Conner used his cane and his two partners used their fists, Kayla used the Dreamtime to transform herself into an Aboriginal ball and proved herself a skilled fighter.

After Diego dispatched the last of the spirits and the Cooper Gang pummeled the Mystics only Ruby remained.

"I'm not beaten yet!" She exclaimed.

With a touch of her hand on the Necro Ruby, Ruby summoned more Ghost Cats and Demonic Turtles in a matter of moments. Forcing her opponents to fight her pawns all over again. During the fight that followed Kayla decided enough was enough and used her telekinesis to grab the Necro Ruby from Mz. Ruby's hands.

"Time to go!" Kayla advised her new allies.

"Agreed!" Marcus beckoned as he struggled with the Ghost Cat he was arm choking.

As if on instinct the Cooper Gang immediately left the battle scene and hopped on their boat. In matter of moments they were long gone. Leaving Diego to handle Mz. Ruby and her remaining, yet declining, spirit minions alone.

"Why do they do this to me?" Diego asked himself upon watching the Cooper Gang escape.

"It seems that Conner thinks you can take care of yourself." Said Mz. Ruby. "I must be honest, even you aren't that incompetent. I'll see you soon."

Once again snapping her fingers, Ruby's remaining spirit henchmen charged toward Diego while she herself teleported in a mist of green energy. In a few minutes Diego finished off the last of the Ghost Cats and Demonic Turtles.

**[SCLOT]**

The next day, the Cooper Gang rented a tour truck to carry their covered plane to San Francisco. Escaping from New Orleans wasn't easy. After chasing away Mz. Ruby, Diego called his colleagues in law enforcement to blockade the town to find the Gang not so long after the four thieves left. After much planning it was decided the best course of action would be to travel to the western United States. There they will fly the Asian skies until they returned to Paris.

In the truck to San Francisco Jim was busy driving the truck. Marcus was studying every known lore of the paranormal to be best prepared the next time they confront Ruby. Leaving Conner and Kayla to continued their discussion.

"When was the last time you saw the Guru?" Asked Conner.

"About six months ago after I completed my training. I take it you don't visit your nephew too often.

"It's for his own safety. And what about you? Do you plan on staying with us?"

"Sure. Why not? I think I can get used to working on a team and with you."

They sat silently for a moment until Kayla had an idea.

"Let me show you something." She said as she brought the Necro Ruby from her pocket and into Conner's left hand. "I'm no Voodoo priestess, but I believe I can show us our families with this."

Smiling, Conner held Kayla's hand with his own that held the Ruby.

"Alright." He said confidently. "Show me the magic."

And in the briefest moment the two raccoons each felt the essences and strong love their families had for each of them. No words were said, but strong emotions and presences were felt. All the same Conner and Kayla felt more at peace then they have ever felt before.

**[SCLOT]**

**To be continued**

**[SCLOT]**

**For those of you who don't know I based Jim's rants from Mr. Krabs' in Every Krabs' Trash from Spongbob Squarepants. And I'm sure you know which Guru Kayla exactly mentioned. I'll continue the story soon enough. Revised once more because mandrills seemingly can swim. So, I made Marcus' inability to swim like Sonic's. **


	8. San Francisco Madness

**Chapter Seven: San Francisco Madness**

**[SCLOT]**

After a day of traveling and dodging law enforcement, the Cooper Gang finally arrived in San Francisco. Holding themselves up in an abandoned warehouse in the Port of San Francisco area, they stacked up their remaining money and supplies before resting in their new surroundings until they left for China. After two days of catching their breaths, Marcus and Jim started to work on their plane to prepare for their Oriental spree while Conner decided to take Kayla to dinner at the French La Bergerie Restaurant on their final night in the city.

For dinner, the two raccoons ordered the Les Escargots De Bourgogne for each other. After filling their stomachs, they discussed recent and distant events.

"Well, I suppose Moreau is still shaking up." Said Kayla while wiping her mouth with her napkin. "I felt the same way when I first discovered magic."

"What did you expect to find in Australia?" Replied Conner.

"I figured the Dreamtime was similar to what you might find in Las Vegas. The Guru seriously blew my mind away when we first met."

"Does this chap even have a name?"

"Not one he's ever told me." Kayla chuckled in an amused way. "He said that what matters in life is the role you play whether than the name you've been given. He doesn't even speak English. Yet I can understand him through my thoughts in a sense."

"Sounds deep."

"You have no idea."

They went silent for a moment before Conner asked.

"So, is this your first date, as well?" Seeing her puzzled reaction, Conner stammered. "Not that this is a date. We don't know each other that well. I was just joking."

Kayla couldn't help but smile.

"There haven't been any real people in my life. I was too focused to follow in my parents footsteps to get to attached to potential boyfriends and such." She leaned back in her chair before saying. "I take it we're alike in that way."

"Yes." Conner said in an awkward voice.

Conner couldn't help but make a fool of himself. For the first time in his whole life, he found a women he could best compare with himself. Beautiful, skilled, and brilliant, Kayla was like an angel to Conner in almost every way.

A waiter arrived with a check that Conner quickly paid. As Kayla and he were about to leave, he thought.

'Maybe it wouldn't hurt if I told her how I felt.'

Taking her right hand into his own, he spoke.

"Kayla, I know that this completely insane, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to you."

Kayla blushed before saying.

"I feel the same way."

After leaving the restaurant, the two then used their Parkour skills and raccoon reflexes to jump from roof to roof so they can reach their hideout quicker. After reaching the roof of a tall building not so faraway from the other, they decided to take a quick break to catch their breath. Looking at each other, Conner saw Kayla shine in the Moonlight and was dazzled, once again, by her stunning figure. His thoughts were then disturbed by a familiar laugh from the opposite end of the roof.

"Nice to say you've dropped in, Conner!" Said the owner of the laugh. Looking at the origin direction, Conner and Kayla saw a small frog in an aristocratic fashion.

"Raleigh?" Conner exclaimed in surprise.

"Surprised to see me?" The frog asked in an arrogant tone.

"Surprised to see you're still ugly!" Conner retorted. " I almost figured that Clockwerk would give you some surgery to make you look more healthy looking." Smiling in a confiding way he asked. "He is your new boss now, right?"

Raleigh bawled his fists in anger.

"We are partners! But enough of this." Flinging his right arm in the arm in a kind of signal, Raleigh was surrounded by twelve golden armored, blue-eyed Robo-Falcons. Pointing at the two raccoons he shouted. "Attack!"

Using their own fighting styles, and in Kayla's case, telekinesis, the two raccoons fought the robots. Destroying half their number before escaping the roof and continuing their Parkour.

"Clearly we're going to have to leave early!" Shouted Kayla as they fled from the danger.

Conner couldn't argue. If Raleigh came here with a small army, then Clockwerk was not far behind. Arriving at the warehouse with few scrapes, they pounded and shouted the names of their comrades at the door which was quickly opened by an annoyed Marcus.

"For the sake of Caesar, what is going on!?" He shouted only to quiver at the sight of the approaching robots. Getting back inside with the raccoons, they shut the door, grabbed the concussion grenades they had bought, and prepared for the eventual confrontation.

"What's going on?" Said a greasy Jim coming from under the plane.

"Raleigh's here!" Exclaimed Kayla. "And it's only a matter of time before Clockwerk arrives, as well."

"Clockwerk!?" Jim said in a panic.

"We finished work on the plane." Marcus explained. "We're ready to leave."

"Alright!" Conner exclaimed as booming noises rocketed on the entire building. "Kayla you sit with me in the back while the boys sit in the front!"

"Right!" Everyone exclaimed.

The team of four then split up. Jim and Kayla would use their own strengths on the approaching robots while Marcus and Connor started the plane and opened the door respectively. In a matter of seconds the remaining Robo-Falcons swarmed the fem raccoon and walrus who showed in restrain in destroying them.

"Come on!" Conner shouted to his friends when Raleigh himself arrived through the open door while making a frequent tsk tsk noise.

"You fools are so messy."

"Your one to talk, fly breath!" Jim replied in a tired and agitated voice.

"Get out of our way before we run you over!" Marcus threatened.

"Or better yet cook you ourselves!" Kayla yelled.

The frog merely cackled.

"Does the word diversion mean anything to you dimwitted scum!"

Within an instant, an abnormally tall, robotic owl with yellow eyes landed in front of the gathered Cooper Gang.

"Conner Cooper, we meet at last." Clockwerk said in a cold mechanical voice.

"Now that you all are tired, we can destroy you once and for all." Said Sir Raleigh in an amused tone.

"That's what you think!" Kayla said in a spiteful voice.

With a flick of her left hand, she pulled all the nearby oil drums and grenades at Clockwerk. Causing a terrific explosion that knocked the ancient murderer into the warehouse at the far side of the Port.

"Time to leave!" Marcus shouted.

"Aye!" Jim replied as he, Kayla, and Conner got into their seats.

Not wasting time, Marcus ignited the engine and drove the plane out of the warehouse. Narrowly missing a startled Raleigh who quickly got out of the way. Gaining speed, Marcus was able to get the plane airborne and far from San Francisco as possible.

After flying for a while with no sign of either Clockwerk of his robots, the four thieves took a sigh of relief.

"Well, that was a close knockout." Said Jim.

"Looks like you were right about things getting worse, Conner." Said Marcus.

"Indeed." Conner replied.

"Let's just hope he doesn't bring a real army next time." Said Kayla.

After a silent moment, Conner spoke again.

"That was an eventful date night."

Laughing in a genuine way, Kayla replied.

"Yes, it was."

**[SCLOT]**

As the Cooper Plane took to the night sky, Raleigh himself tried to get to Clockwerk. Racing as quickly as he could, the frog pushed the unconscious and badly damaged bird of prey to get a reaction. Slowly, almost reluctantly, the aged criminal came back to himself.

"Master Clockwerk, we must make haste or at least escape!" Raleigh exclaimed as his partner regained his standing. "The police are coming and our enemies are fleeing."

Taking a step back as Clockwerk fully stood up, Raleigh looked in surprise as the owl's badly damaged appearance quickly repaired itself into full condition.

"You are right, Sir Raleigh." Clockwerk said as his voice took hold. "I am not at full power to fight the Cooper Gang back, but we must escape."

Signaling his miniature accomplice to literally hop on his back, Clockwerk stretched his wings and took flight to the opposite direction where the Cooper Plane was escaping.

"What shall we do next when we encounter them once more, Master?" Raleigh said in a respectful tone as he held on to Clockwerk's armor with his right hand as well his hat and wig with other.

"Clearly, Cooper has been preparing for these moments longer than I anticipated. He stands with capable allies. We must do the same."

**[SCLOT]**

At the United States' Interpol headquarters in Washington, DC, Inspector Diego Fox was in a meeting with Secretary-general Arnold Virtue to discuss the Cooper pursuit.

"All I need is more time to find them." Diego said to his superior.

Sighing with his right palm on his face, the grey haired, American lion in an official suit could not hide his exasperation with Diego's pleads.

"Fox, you're one of our best and brightest, but the top brass herself is concerned not only about your claim of this Voodoo witch, but of your fixation on Cooper."

"Sir, I can assure you I know what I saw, and that this case won't affect my judgement. Cooper is just some inheritance kid who can be easily brought in with the right time and methods."

"We know that the case involving his family years ago left you bewildered, Fox." Virtue said as he placed his right hand on Diego's shoulder. "We're trying to make sure this isn't going to your head."

"This isn't about me, Sir. It's about justice."

"And you won't think of giving him a free pass because you want answers or that you two worked together in England?" Virtue retorted with his eyes narrowed.

"No, Sir." Diego replied with his composure stuck.

Before Virtue could reply, the TV and radio in his office suddenly turned on in an erratic way. Standing up from their chairs, the two officials of the law watched as the TV screen switched from static to an image of a shadowed owl and back again.

"Someone is sending a message." Diego said at last.

**[SCLOT]**

Around the world, televisions and radios were relayed to an encrypted broadcast that not even the finest terrorist experts on Earth could decrypt it's source for years to come. After a moment of static, it switched to an image of a shadowed owl with a mechanical voice.

"After so long, I have decided to reveal myself to the world at last." Said the voice. "I use the name Clockwerk, and I have been whispered as the world's greatest criminal mind. A criminal many of the most powerful fools in the world, tend to dismiss as a myth, but I am not." Taking a time to reflect, he continued. "Consider this message a sign of my respect for how far you have all developed in a great number of years, and a call to arms for my criminal brethren." Revealing his anger, he spoke. "Time and again we have been pushed from our rightful place by those who uphold their own grandiose laws and codes of honor due to our own lack of a united front." Speaking in a more calmer, calculated tone, he went on. "If you want your fates to change, if you want the world to tremble before you, stand by my side. For the next year, I will be hosting tests for the best and brightest among you to join my very own cabal of villainy. Such as Sir Raleigh has. Only three more will rise up to take their places in the new age I will have created. And by the time we are ready to strike back at the neglectful, self-proclaimed rulers and do-gooders of Earth, we shall destroy all our enemies, together!"

As Conner listened to this he realized his worst fear had come true. The world was at war between moralities and legalities.

**[SCLOT]**

**To be continued**

**[SCLOT]**

**Behind the scenes**

**[SCLOT]**

**I thought I'd add some romance for Conner, but not in a fast way. I based Clockwerk's speech on the ones the Red Skull and Cobra Commander made in Avengers Assemble and G.I. Joe Resolute. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy this, but it's going to be hard to write years of work into one fan fiction. And I have other plans. If anyone wants to share some PG leveled ideas, be my guest. **


	9. Hong Kong Fireworks

**Chapter Eight: Hong Kong Fireworks**

**[SCLOT]**

After a long flight across the Pacific, the Cooper Gang arrived at Hong Kong, China. Landing and discreetly covering their plane at the Hong Kong International Airport, the four thieves continued their activities by stealing money and other valuables from the city's corrupt residents. From the Triads to the politicians.

Conner once came to Hong Kong with his family on one of his parents' thieving exploits when he was a three-year old, in a time before he and Michael began their careers in thievery. Therefore, he didn't remember on what the city was like. Nor what all of Asia was meant to be, as well. Nevertheless, he recognized Hong Kong as a sub-bureau of Interpol, and advised his Gang to stay sharp at all times.

With Jim behind the wheel of their rented, black van, the Cooper Gang drove across the Kowloon Peninsula in Kowloon City to their next target. The goose Triad boss, Ping Shi. Who's influence stretched across seven of Hong Kong's eighteen districts. Conner was seated at the front next to Jim while Kayla meditated in the back and Marcus prepared his hacking equipment.

"So what kind of name is Ping Shi, anyway?" Jim asked slightly amused.

"I suppose it depends on the sort of upbringing you have, McSweeney." Said Kayla.

"It doesn't matter what his name is, you two." Marcus retorted. "What matters is his money, reputation, and defenses. The money is our salary, the reputation shall spread our own prominence, and the defenses will keep us from our goal unless we overcome them first."

"But isn't the name suppose to go with the reputation?" Said Conner smugly. "Besides, I thought you were all about anonymity."

"I was until that nonsense in London threw me off my game. Now, I have to worry about my safety and underworld renown more than ever before."

"Don't be such a drama queen." Jim said in an annoyed tone. Clearly he couldn't talk and drive at the same time during a job like this.

"Don't be so pushy, Muscle Walrus." Marcus retorted.

"Muscle Walrus?" Jim replied confused before saying in a complimented voice. "I like it."

"Something I figured my best friend from the U.S. would say if he were here." Marcus said nostalgically.

"Best friend, eh?" Asked Conner.

"Jesse Muttra." Marcus elaborated. "He was a wild card, but he had a good head on his shoulders. And in more ways than one, as well."

"Was he a genius, or was he a lot like you?" Kayla asked playfully.

Giving her an annoyed look, Marcus continued his story.

"I met Mutt at the high school I enrolled in as part of the foreign exchange program. He kept traveling a lot with his family thus I never went to his parties, but we shared similar interests in science and profits so we eventually grew close. He was a martial artist, brilliant in machines, paid attention to details, and had grand ambitions to leave a mark on the world and live a luxurious lifestyle."

"Don't we all?" Jim said heartily.

"When he got accepted to Harvard through a scholarship, he talked me into joining him so we could better keep in touch. All the same, the closest thing we had for parties wasn't grand, but we had each other."

"Not all that popular with women, were you not?" Kayla teased once more.

"No one matched our profiles. After graduation, we split up. He was recruited for his country's Department of Defense. I went freelance."

"You sound like you two haven't kept touch." Jim said confused.

"I tried to contact him after what happened to my parents, but his sister said that he died in an accident at work."

"Ouch." Jim replied. Wishing he didn't ask.

"It's fine." Said Marcus. "Let's just focus on the here and now."

Arriving five miles outside of Shi's traditional looking mansion, the four thieves divided in two pairs. Marcus and Jim would stay at the van to coordinate the break in and prepare for their getaway exit. Kayla and Conner, on the other hand, would parkour from the tallest building near Shi Manor and glide to the mansion's roof. Once inside through the skylight, they would get into Shi's office and place a log chip in his computer. Allowing Marcus on the other end to rob the Triad boss's bank account.

As the two raccoons carried out their part of the plan, they noticed a rhino Triad enforcer dead on the floor. Taking a closer look, Connor studied the entrance wound on the rhino's back.

"Conner, what is it?" Asked Marcus through the earpiece.

"Someone's dead, and it looks like he was shot with a silencer." Whispered Conner.

"Someone else is here?" Asked Kayla in an equally quiet tone.

"There's only one way to found out."

"Then go and get our bounty." Said Marcus with a hint of impatience.

Following Marcus' directions, they entered the glitzy office only to see that a log chip was already implanted in the laptop computer. As the two raccoons came closer to the laptop, they heard the sound of two guns being armed. As they stopped in their tracks, they saw a black armored tiger visualize on the other side of the desk where the computer laid. Armed in both hands, the tiger looked physically fit in a male sort of way, and wore an equally black helmet over his head. When he spoke, his voice sounded harsh speaking through the helmet though it sounded as if he had an Indian American accent.

"I wouldn't step any closer if I were you, kids." Said the tiger.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Replied Kayla as she and Conner raised their hands up.

"You may know me as the Dark Cat."

Conner knew the name all too well. The alias of Dark Cat was used by an extraordinary hacker, vigilante, demolitions expert, and information broker whose crimes have stretched from fifteen United Nation members. Although he seemed to share a trace of the Cooper Gang's code of ethics, he wasn't afraid to kill if necessary.

"Your reputation precedes you, Killer." Conner said slightly disgusted.

"Watch the toes you're stepping on, Bro. I'll let you leave where you entered, if you allow me to take my prize."

"Let's not be hasty, boys." Said Kayla in a cool voice.

As the log chip's light turned from red to blue, signifying that the download was complete, the Dark Cat holstered his right silencer to remove the log chip while keeping a close eye on Conner and Kayla. However, when he got distracted by footsteps from outside the mansion, Kayla used her Dreamtime skills to mentally grab hold of the left silencer. Placing it in her own hands, she pointed it at the Dark Cat in a warning sort of way.

"Let's not do anything imbecilic." She told the Dark Cat.

Sighing in annoyance at his disadvantage, the Dark Cat spoke with restrained anger.

"Babe, I'm trying to make a living here. Not only by taking Shi's money, but by exposing him, as well. The data on this chip has details on his entire operation."

"And the dead rhino?" Asked Conner.

"He saw me, so what? Death may not be pretty, but it does get things done."

"There's always another way."

"Conner, Kayla, what you two doing?!" Marcus demanded through the earpieces. "There's a small group of angry-looking primates coming your way."

"Uh, how angry?" Asked Conner in hesitance.

Just as Marcus was going to reply, six tall, muscular, purple mandrills with green muzzles, reddish-yellow eyes, reddish-white pants, and simple, yet powerful staffs marched through the front gates of the mansion. Seeing them through a window, the three thieves saw the mandrills attack the Triad enforcers outside with their staffs in a karate fashion. Taking their opponents down one by one, the six monkeys continued their march to the front door.

"The Panda King's Mandrill Warriors!" Exclaimed the Dark Cat in surprise.

"The Panda King?!" The raccoons spoke in response.

His real name Tai King, the Panda King was well-known across Asia for his crimes of arson, extortion, and occasional murder. Using fireworks to suit his needs, he was reputed to be deadly serious and to have a grudge against wealthy nobility while having some sense of honor. Which puts him in conflict with those who value their own agendas and status over others.

"Perhaps it's best we both escape." Said the Dark Cat.

"Agreed!" Said Conner.

"What is going on here?!" Said a Chinese voice from outside the office in the hallway.

Emerging through the doors was a short, elderly goose with a beard in a red bathrobe. Upon seeing the three thieves, the goose who was obviously Shi took on a look of surprise before giving way to fury.

"What are you fools doing here and who are you?!"

Before he could prattle on, one of the Mandrill Warriors emerged from behind and with a swipe of his staff rocked Shi to the other side of the room. Running towards him, the mandrill then hit Shi once more.

"Wait!" Shi protested out of fear and pain. "I only did business with them. I didn't know they would attack that hotel in Beijing. Nor that King's wife would be there. Please, don't kill me!"

"The Master doesn't take kindly to selfish fools such as yourself." The mandrill said in a cold voice. Then he took out a knife and stabbed the unfortunate goose in the back.

Catching sight of Conner, Kayla, and the Dark Cat, the mandrill then leaped towards them as Shi breathed his last. The Dark Cat did not waste words as he took his right silencer and fired at him.

"We can talk about ethics later." The feline quickly said. "For now let's escape."

Following him through the mansion, the raccoons fought the surviving mandrills and rhinos until they escaped through the gates. Kayla and Conner made it to their van while the Dark Cat pressed the right side of his helmet and in an instant, a black motorcycle emerged next to him. Getting on his vehicle, he then said.

"How about we make a deal? You help me get to the King and I'll pay you for your services."

"And why should we do that besides money?" Said Conner opening the van's backside doors.

As Kayla entered the van, Marcus took a look at the Dark Cat who exchanged a glance and looked suddenly surprised.

"Marc?!" He exclaimed.

"Huh?" The Gang said in unison and confusion.

Removing his helmet, the Dark Cat revealed himself as a Bengal tiger around his twenties with blue eyes and a blonde mustache.

"Mutt?!" Marcus said in surprise and with a dumbfounded smile.

"What?!" The rest of Gang spoke confounded.

"Over there!" Said a voice.

Turning their direction to the voice's origin, the five criminals saw that the remaining Mandrill Warriors were gaining on them.

"We should catch up at the International, alright?!" Said Marcus in a panic.

"So it's a deal?!" Shouted Mutt.

"Fine!" Said Conner in a hurry. "Let's just go."

Taking their own vehicles, the five criminals went their separate ways to the airport as the mansion burst into flames.

**[SCLOT]**

At their plane's hiding spot, the Cooper Gang took their own seats as Jesse Muttra decided to tell his story after Marcus explained their own stories.

"So, Mutt, when and how on Earth did you become the Dark Cat?" Asked Marcus in curiosity.

"It was six months after I got into the DOD." He explained. "Everything was going great as I earned some classic respect and money until I found out Terra Aeternae had a mole in the Department."

"Terra Aeternae?!" Exclaimed the Gang in surprise.

"That's right." Mutt confirmed. "The terrorists themselves had an ace up their sleeves."

Terra Aeternae, translated from Latin for "Earth Eternal", was infamous across the world for their extremist criticism of nations and organizations that didn't sit right with their visions of environmental balance, economic prosperity, and political unification. They even staged attacks against the United Nations with the aid of other underworld figures. While Clockwerk was the one who orchestrated the death of Sarah Cooper, it was Terra Aeternae who planted the bombs.

"When I found out about some discreet emails between one of my coworkers and some TA big shot, I tried to uncover him, but he backed a bomb and blow himself to kingdom come to try to stop me. The only thing I could do was to let the world think I was dead."

"You didn't go to the police, or something?" Asked Jim.

"I couldn't afford to let him slip pass me. After biding my sister goodbye, I became the Dark Cat and went in search of the TA ringleaders around the world. I found out they were supplied in arms and the King family's location by Shi. So I went after him and here I am."

"What do you mean the King family's location?" Asked Kayla.

"The Panda King insulted TA when he refused to work with them and actually killed their welcome wagon. So they retaliated at the hotel his wife and daughter were staying at for their protection. King's people were able to get the little girl unscathed. The mother not so much."

"Sheesh, no wonder he went through all this trouble just to bump off one guy." Said Jim.

"I believe King may actually know something critical about TA. Help me get him and I'll pay you, okay?"

"I don't know, Jesse." Said Conner, folding his arms. "As much as I disapprove of what Panda King does, I'm not sure can trust you with your cowboy antics. Marcus' best friend not withstanding."

"I do what is necessarily, Cooper." Mutt retorted. "Shi was garbage. Clockwerk's worse. Has it occurred to you that not only they deserve to die, but that it's sometimes the only way to go down?"

"That doesn't mean everyone should be murdered in cold blood."

"It doesn't matter." Said Marcus, holding his hands up for calm. "This is dangerous, I admit, Conner, but it's could also be for the greater good, as well as our own good."

"With Clockwerk going all about his cabal thing, it probably should be best that we remove some opponents from the chess board, if you catch my drift." Said Jim, nodding.

"My instincts tell me it's for the best, Conner." Kayla agreed.

Face palming, Conner released a sigh before saying.

"Alright, then, but aside from paying us, Mutt, I want you to join us so I can keep an eye on you."

This caught Mutt and the rest by surprise. Nonetheless, Mutt took Conner's right hand with his own and started shaking it.

"Okay, then." Said Marcus, rubbing his hands. "I suppose we start with the log chip so we can find that pyromaniac."

"We have all the time in the world, Marc." Replied Mutt with a smile.

**[SCLOT]**

**To be continued**

**[SCLOT]**

**Behind the scenes**

**[SCLOT]**

**I based Ping Shi on characters played by James Hong and Jesse Muttra on two good cats of mine who died during my 11th grade. I thought it would be interesting to not only add terrorists in the Sly Cooper universe, but another Gang member who I plan to use as part of the reason for Dr. M's estrangement with the Coopers. Decided to go back on the terrorist name Samad because it didn't make much sense now. I should've looked it up a long time ago, but I guess I had Alpha Protocol on the brain. **


	10. Interview

**Awareness Bringer: I guess I should start with an apology with how late I've been in updating this story. I don't intend to abandon it, of course, I'm just insanely preoccupied with different ideas and obligations among other things.**

**Sly: It's alright. Glad to know you're still breathing.**

**Awareness Bringer: Thanks, Sly. Thankfully, SilverSaiyan44 on FFN has agreed to help me work out on grammatical errors and all that. I also wouldn't mind, if any of the readers can drop in an idea on occasion. It's been a long time since I last worked on this.**

**Dr. M: That's what happens when you waste time being indecisive, you arrogant, self-glorified dreamer!**

**Awareness Bringer: Ignoring that, I'll see what I can do in coming up with a new chapter. **


End file.
